Justice League Soldiers: DCAU Series Part 23
by Loki's Son
Summary: Almerac has conquered Kandor. Escaping Kryptonian troops have fled to Earth with Darkseid's help. Just how much damage can thirteen alien soldiers inflict? Perhaps even enough to conquer a well defended planet and hand it to the Lord of Apokolips.
1. Chapter 1

17

Los Angeles' sky was filled with its prototypical layer of smog. The atmospheric inversion that caused rising air to arrest its climb and pool about over the city had heightened beyond its usual limits and caused public safety officials to alert the public to a dangerous rise in air quality contamination. But Jade willfully ignored the public warnings as she ferried her half-sister, Mayflower, along in a Green Flame construct of a gondola.

She lowered Mayflower to the entrance of an expensive high rise apartment complex. Mayflower glanced at Jade, "You really hope he isn't here. Don't you?"

"Would you?" Jade asked defensively, "The building is owned by a prostitution ring madam and the tenets are her employees."

"Still, judging the book by its cover, it's a fairly opulent ring," Mayflower replied.

That garnered her glare from Jade. Mayflower shrugged, "I know literally dozens of East Enders back in London that would sign their lives away for an opportunity to move in here."

"If Todd does live and works for Vivid, I'll kill him," Jade growled, "They can bury the corpse if they ever find it."

Mayflower halfway believed her.

* * *

"Stormwatch reported an alien craft approaching Earth," J'onn Jonzz the Martian Manhunter reported to the rest of the Justice League Unlimited in the cavern encompassing headquarters.

"I'm still uncomfortable with your ties to this Stormwatch and the Shadow Cabinet that runs it," Superman admitted, "You're either completely with us or completely against us."

"I don't see anyone objecting to John's ties to the Green Lantern Corps or Barda's affiliation with the New Gods on New Genesis," J'onn replied calmly, "Your paranoia is worthy of Batman."

"I'm nothing like him," Superman snorted, "I didn't terrorize a city and a state so effectively they passed anti-vigilante laws against non-legally sanctioned costumed adventurers."

"So that's what they call us now," Blue Beetle chortled.

"Of course you're nothing like that thug, Batman," Obsession soothed Superman's ire.

Barda wanted to vomit. Obsession still wore her "Mrs. Superman" outfit. Superman hadn't bothered suggesting she change out of it. Of course, if Barda were to puke all over the outfit, Obsession would be forced to change clothes.

"Regardless of where the alert was sourced from, we need to check it out," John Stewart, the Green Lantern permanently assigned to Earth and its surrounding sector made a point.

"Did we pinpoint a landing site yet?" Shayera Hol, the former Hawkgirl and current Mrs. Stewart, asked. The Thanagarian's history in military intelligence drove her to learn about the potentials foes as quickly and quietly as possible.

"It landed in steppes of Kazakhstan," J'onn was pleased the pair was taking this report seriously. As two of the original founders of the Justice League, their voices carried extra weight with Superman, just as his own once had.

"I see we wait for a trouble alert to inform of our potential guests' intentions. If the aliens create an incident upon encountering humanity, then we intervene and not before," Barda suggested.

"And how many lives get lost while we gear up to respond?" Jesse Quick asked, "I can't live with that kind of math."

"We could send a simple scouting party and reinforce it as needed," Captain Atom reasonably suggested.

"Captain Atom has a damn good point," the Atom voiced his support for the proposal.

"Blue Beetle, prep the Bug," Superman decided, "You'll fly J'onn, John, Shayera, Apache Chief, Samurai, and Black Vulcan to the landing site. Remember this is a scouting mission first and potential diplomatic overture."

"Well done," Obsession whispered knowing Superman could hear it.

But others in the room could easily read her lips. Fire, and even Ice, looked ready to gag. Barda knew Superman was laying a trap to ensnare Obsession's true master but when did the trap turn itself around and snare its creator? That was why Barda was in the loop. To prevent Superman's hubris from betraying the JLU.

* * *

Beyond the outermost edge of the Sol system, an Almeracian skiff emerged from hyperspace. Kalea-El reported so to Power Girl, "We are secure and free to navigate in real space once more."

Galatea Hamilton, now generally known as Power Girl, reported to the cockpit, "I must be a lousy copilot since I don't know how anything works."

"There was a time I couldn't imagine living amongst humans. They're just so primitive. But almost a year on a dead world like Argo brings everything into perspective," Kalea stated, "Of course, you enforcer types and your code names are still ridiculous. I mean, I understand your wanting to honor a fallen comrade, but 'Power Girl' of all things? And my father's arrogance at calling himself 'Superman'?"

"Try one on, it'll grow on you," Power Girl smirked.

Kalea snorted her derision. Kalea was a child of three worlds. She was the daughter of Maxima, empress of all Almerac. She was Kryptonian though her father's side. And her past, present, and near future seemed to revolve around Earth Prime.

"Frankly, I didn't think you'd even come back to Earth until you said 'yes' to my request," Kalea admitted.

"I didn't know it either," Power Girl confessed.

"Well, I'm glad you did. My history with humans leaves a lot to be desired," Kalea sighed.

"Adding flesh to your arm, legs, and eye means you won't stand out as well," Power Girl pointed out.

"Which is why I did before I came to Kandor looking for you," Kalea shared.

"Their tortures almost broke me. You'll never know how grateful I was to see you come into that room and kill everyone inside," PG was happy to report, "And your clothing is amazingly simple compared to most Almeracian fashions and nondescript enough to be a uniform without looking like one."

Kalea knew her all black outfit would remind humans off yoga pants and a leotard. But her knee high combat boots destroyed that gentle image. Her black gloves had fingertip sensors that displayed its results in her bionic right eye's Heads Up Display. And her mother's genetics had blended with Kal-El to produce auburn hair in Kalea.

"The prison some Earth agency set up on Pluto has been destroyed. Evidence supports the theory it was a Red Lantern," Kalea said as she entered the Sol system and Power Girl sat beside her, "The moon base indicates the same builders were involved. They've adapted their sensors to try and detect stealthed ships. They undoubtedly detected the Kryptonian Ranger Scouts but they won't even sense us."

"If they do detect us, can they destroy this ship?" Power Girl wondered, "Maybe even through a natural means?"

"There's nothing natural about space travel," Kalea chuckled, "This skiff is of a type I've used quite a bit in my role as an imperial agent. I've never been found out before I land. Recent improvements have increased the terrestrial stealth capacity so the ship will be invisible until called upon."

"Anywhere special?" Power Girl wondered.

"What?" Kalea was confused.

"The places you've been inside one these buckets," Power Girl clarified.

"I made it through Gordanian space to my meetings with the Dominators and the Khunds," Kalea answered.

"Rumor has it Maxima offered to restore your Imperial citizenship for that accomplishment and again for Kandor's conquest," Power Girl tried to sound nonchalant, "But you refused both times."

"I've had my reasons," Kalea demurred.

"I think you've paid whatever penance you felt you've owed," Power Girl opined.

"Have you faced your demons?" Kalea asked sharply, "When you can tell me you've achieved peace of mind, come talk to me and I'll reconsider my decision."

"I'll get back to you on that one," Power Girl backed down.

"And if you're thinking you haven't helped, you monitored the auto systems when I took care of official matters with Almerac," Kalea assured her, "And your being by my side will help sell my position as a helper rather than an enemy that much sooner."

"Probably not given how I just disappeared with you," Power Girl groaned.

"They'll take you back," Kalea promised, "After dealing with Lord Superman you've proven you're the only one that can kill my father. And the time is coming where that ability may save the multiverse."

* * *

In the Hall of Justice, Colonel Steve Trevor reported to Amanda Waller. Waller was the director of two distinct ARGUS programs. One was the Justice League of America, the public face of the superhuman phenomenon working for the government of the United States. The second was Task Force X. The Suicide Squad was the black on black facet of ARGUS that even the President of the United States wasn't cleared to know about.

"The guard at Area 51 came out of his coma and indentified his attacker as being Kalea-El," Trevor reported on the longstanding mystery, "So now we know Power Girl disappeared with Kalea."

"Why would Kalea care about Area 51?" Waller pondered it, "Nothing is missing from the inventory."

"Power Girl is," Trevor reminded her.

"Very well, we've assumed until now Galatea went underground for personal reasons after Blackhawk's death. But no evidence leading us to believe she left Earth with a war criminal that invaded Earth. Twice," Waller grumbled, "Now the question is: if Power Girl ever returns to Earth, what will she want?"

"And who will she be working for?" Trevor asked, "Maxima?"

"Or even Kalea herself?" Waller posed the final question.

* * *

Conner Hawke and Mia Deardon rode their motorcycles through Los Angeles to get from Green Arrow's LA based lair to the local ARGUS facility. Their government issued plates and ARGUS IDs got them through security regardless of the fact they weren't dressed as Green Arrow and Speedy.

En route they'd spotted Jade and Mayflower outside Vivid's apartment building. Mia had lifted her visor in question at a traffic light but Conner shook his head. He'd heard stories about that building. If Jade and Mayflower got in over their heads, the LAPD would get the call to assist and ARGUS would relay that summons to them.

* * *

Jade and Mayflower entered the high rise. Men and women both cast them nary a second look. From the LAPD's files they learned every tenet was also a meta-human. So green skin hardly drew attention.

Vivid was no longer a performer in pornographic films but she now produced a distributed videos starring metas with or without human partners. Seemingly the greatest demand for porn stars was for those between ages eighteen to twenty-nine. Thirty seemed to, in most cases, kill the demand for a headline performer. Some of Vivid's metas stayed on secondary billing stars but most migrated to the escort service where their infamy lived on as well as their costly demand.

The LAPD's Vice Division couldn't explain the unbreakable loyalty Vivid's escorts felt towards her. They'd rather face jail time and fines than betray her involvement in their prostitution. Having consulted the FBI, DEO and ARGUS, the only conclusion the detectives could arrive at was that Vivid exerted some kind of mind control over her employees. Which could explain why she had no shortage of porn stars or escorts.

Obsidian represented a perfect choice for an escort. He was unstable and looking for a tether to tie his life down. His infamy as a JLer turned bad would garner multiple clients. He was also gay, thereby providing for a niche clientele that was frequently overlooked in escort services.

Jade reached his door and frowned, "He's not here."

"Have you ever considered knocking?" Mayflower chided her.

"I told you that Todd and I share a telepathic bond. I know he's not here," Jade reached a decision, "So we'll just wait for him."

"Lobby?" Mayflower wondered.

Jade's power pulse in her left hand flashed green flames and Obsidian's door opened, "Kitchen."

Mayflower just hoped Obsidian didn't bring his work home with him.

* * *

Blue Beetle's Bug aircraft floated nearby while the JLer scouting party examined the smallish spacecraft landed in the Kazakh outskirts. John was the first to comment, "They definitely soft landed."

"This technology seems familiar," J'onn warned them.

"There are tracks leading away from the craft," Apache Chief pointed out.

"This is Kryptonian design and tech," Blue Beetle said sourly, "I consulted with STAR Labs when Professor Hamilton began his studies of Superman's spacecraft."

"Superman travelled to Krypton," Shayera reminded them, "It was completely destroyed and it knocked Argo out of its orbit and everyone but Kara froze to death."

"But any civilization capable of breaking into hyperspace is bound to colonize," John said, "Look how many Daxamites there are. They're a former Kryptonian colony. There were bound to be others."

"Then why hadn't Thanagar or even Mars known about them?" Shayera wondered.

"They probably didn't want to be found," John theorized.

"And these are soldiers," J'onn pointed out, "They're weapons lockers are full and their armor unworn."

"Meaning they knew what physiological changes would occur when they reached Earth's sun and atmosphere," Shayera grimly deduced.

"There are thirteen of them," Apache Chief reported, "Their tracks lead in that direction and then uniformly disappear."

"Flight?" Black Vulcan spoke up.

"Probably," Apache Chief agree.

"We face a dangerous group of foes then," Samurai added to the discussion.

"Then we call in backup," John asserted.

* * *

Superman went over the ship in amazement, "It's unmistakably Kryptonian down to the glyphs on the control surfaces."

"But they don't intend on ever leaving," Blue Beetle pulled out a char and laid a fractured crystal down on it, "Those represents the ship's CPU. They intentionally destroyed it."

"I can find them," Obsession volunteered.

"You're certain?" Superman asked.

"Remember, I can see even better than you can, babe," Obsession cockily reminded him.

"Then do it," Superman instructed.

* * *

"You recognize them?" Kalea asked Power Girl.

The Almeracian skiff was in orbit and Kalea and tuned in the sensors to the location of the Ranger Scouts' ship. It provided multiple displays of various types of data including visuals. Galatea studied the visual display.

"Most of them," Power Girl admitted, "But the woman wearing the Superman 'S' is a stranger."

"First it was Kara In-Ze," Kalea seethed, "How many people will he allow to wear the sigil of the House of El?"

"He's the scion so I guess it's as many as he wants," Power Girl remarked.

"True, but that doesn't mean his heirs have to like it," Kalea grumbled.

"I guess the more we think we change the more we actually stay the same," Power Girl gently chided her friend.

Kalea shot her an annoyed glare. Then she shook her head, "Sorry. Earth and its memories tend to bring out the worst in me."

"Works that way for most folks," Power Girl sighed.

"The Justice League is departing. They seem to be headed for the largest metropolis in the area," Kalea reported, "I want to look at the Kryptonian ship."

As Kalea brought the ship to the surface in Kazakhstan, Power Girl described the political and ideological differences between the Justice League Unlimited, The Justice League United, the Justice League of America, the Justice League Dark, and other teams and the passing of the Justice League International."

"Healthy competition is one thing but this borders on self destruction," Kalea judged.

"We'll see," Power Girl stiffly replied.

"Yes, we will," Kalea smirked.

* * *

It had been Mayflower's idea to lock the door back up so that Todd Rice wasn't already on guard when he entered the apartment. But Obsidian still detected Jennie-Lynn Haden's presence. He noticed Mayflower but largely ignored her. His ire was directed towards his twin sister.

"You can come out, Jennie-Lynn, I know you're here," Obsidian grated.

"I'd hoped the police were wrong," Jade confessed as she showed herself.

"Who's that?" Obsidian pointed at Mayflower.

"She's Briar Rose," Jade explained, "She's our sister on mom's side. And under the name 'Mayflower' she carries on the family business."

"Like the flower or the boat?" Obsidian asked harshly.

"Both actually," Mayflower finally spoke.

"Before you condemn my life, remember you lied to me and trapped me in the Shadow Realms," Obsidian accused Jade, "You knew I was free and could have looked for me but you didn't until now. So kindly get the hell out of my apartment and maybe I'll send you a Christmas card some year."

"Todd…," Jade was at a loss.

"I'll report you for breaking and entering if you don't leave quietly," Obsidian threatened.

"Nice meeting you. Have a nice day," Mayflower pulled Jade out of the apartment and Obsidian slammed the door behind them.

Obsidian went on a profane tirade after kicking out his sister and…half-sister? He knew Vivid would take steps to ensure he remained in her employ and he also knew Jade wouldn't let this go. This meant he needed to be a step ahead of her.

* * *

Kazakhstan had traded hands numerous times over the centuries. Its current name meant "Land of the Kazakhs" whom eventually seized the land and held even through Soviet domination. Almaty had been the capital from the 1800s until 1997, whereupon the first, and last, democratically elected president moved the capital out of the largest and most populated city. Little did the Kazakhs realize, in their exuberance to choose their own leader, that they'd elected a dictator for life.

Kazakhstan was known for several notable facts. One was that it was the largest landlocked nation in the world. Second it possessed the last two functioning Cosmodromes that the Russian, and now the American, space programs depended upon to launch capsules to the International Space Station. Kazakhstan was also one of the first signatories to president Putin's Free Trade and Defense treaty.

The thirteen Kryptonian Ranger Scouts had no clue of where they were landing but their enhanced vision showed them Almaty. And they decided to begin their conquest of the planet there. For that was the role of Ranger Scouts. They'd descended upon primitive planets and enslaved them for Kandor. And with Kandor in Almeracian chains, they were now working as mercenaries for Darkseid to take the Earth and hand it to the Dark Lord of Apokolips in exchange for Kandor's liberation.

"These physical enhancements are everything they were promised to be," Lieutenant Gar-Lo stated to Sergeant Inara Ye-Nev.

"Yessir," she quickly agreed from her vantage point over the city whereby she and Gar-Lo directed their troops by merely speaking and allowing for the rangers' super hearing to detect the commands. And the vision powers they all had enabled Gar-Lo and Inara track the soldiers.

"I distrusted that vile Desaad but Steppenwolf spoke the truth. The solar panels had us at full strength before we entered this misbegotten system. These hapless fools should be conquered before tomorrow," Gar-Lo boasted.

"Steppenwolf did warn of enhanced defenders," Inara reminded him.

"And where are they, Sergeant?" Gar-Lo laughed.

The JLU distributed themselves around the war torn city. Updates from headquarters alerted the JLU that Kazakhstan's overwhelmed military had called in the Russian Rocket Red Brigade. Superman had to finally come to grips with the blatantly obvious.

"They are Kryptonians," he groaned, "Beetle contact Barda and have her bring in the rest of the team."

"And how about the JLA, the Justice League Dark, and the new kids in the Justice League United?" Blue Beetle suggested hopefully.

"Don't make me laugh," Superman sneered.

* * *

Kalea sat her skiff down several miles away from the ranger scout ship. She wasn't certain if its auto antiship defenses were down or not but she wasn't going to take chances. It became obvious the antipersonnel defenses were already down thereby allowing the JLU in and out unimpeded.

"The solar panels seemed to have fully recharged you," Kalea observed of Power Girl.

"I felt back to full strength a few days ago. Not like I ever left Earth or Almerac. And certainly not like I ever set foot on Kandor," Power Girl assured her.

Power Girl's cells had been fully charged by the rays of a yellow sun when she went to the red sun system of New Krypton. Once she'd committed her various acts of sabotage, the Kandorians simply wore her down through constant energy expenditures until she was a mere Argoan again. And as such, she endured a week of unspeakable tortures at the hands of the Kryptonians. Tortures she still wouldn't discuss even with Kalea who'd interrupted them.

They explored the ship. Kalea examined the core interface and saw the crystalline CPU had been removed. A quick search located it remnants. Power Girl asked Kalea to join her in the weapons locker.

"They left everything behind," PG pointed out, "Including this apparatus. Look familiar?"

"So, the reports indicating the Kryptonians met with envoys from Darkseid are true enough," Kalea said regretfully, "That spells trouble on several levels."

"One, the scouts already have full access to their powers," Power Girl recited, "And they've made a deal with Apokolips."

"Presumably Earth in exchange for Kandor," Kalea said grimly.

"You knew," Power Girl accused.

"Remote scouts and listening posts detected signal traffic between the realm Apokolips exists in and the path the ranger scouts were infrequently detected on," Kalea explained, "We knew for certain they were headed to Earth. But the why of it was a mystery until now."

"But why?" Power Girl asked, "Besides the usual."

"Darkseid is obsessed with obtaining a corps of Kryptonian soldiers. That's why he used Mala and Kal-El to harvest a dozen fetuses and well as leave Mala herself with three of her own. And Lord Superman fulfilled another experiment by having him impregnate a Female Fury named Precious."

"But now he could skip the growing process and simply bend New Krypton and its citizens to his will," Power Girl fully realized with some horror, "And Superman participated in these…matings?"

"Oral techniques were employed to arouse him before Mala mounted him and rode him to ejaculation. Fertility drugs were used to enhance her reproductive cycles and she'd simply harvest embryos as soon as they developed and the drugs made her generate fresh eggs to be fertilized," Kalea explained.

"You sound irritated," Power Girl observed.

"How would you like to learn you have over a dozen half-sibling ready to vie for position in the multiverse?" Kalea grated.

"Try being a clone," Galatea advised her, "Then we can discuss insecurities."

"They'll worship Darkseid and they'll be pitted against Almerac," Kalea finished, "And I'll have to kill them one by one or all at once."

"Could you be that heartless?" Power Girl wondered.

"I'm still the same woman that launched an invasion of this Earth that cost thousands of lives," Kalea reminded her, "Don't ever forget that."

Power Girl suddenly knew she shouldn't.

* * *

"Lieutenant! Airborne attackers!" a private named Fal-Jegg reported.

"More of these worthless flying machines?" Gar-Lo scoffed.

Obsession's super speed punch knocked Gar-Lo over the horizon. Fal-Jegg swallowed, "Um…no."

Obsession wildly attacked Fal-Jegg.

* * *

Superman struck out at two more Kryptonian privates named Ran-Dul and Jag-Set. They were better prepared than Gar-Lo or Fal-Jegg. Barda chose the sergeant, Inara, as her opponent. She found her a worthy foe.

J'onn dealt with Fet-Ed as John and Shayera tag teamed Dal-Uv. Captain Atom bombarded Kira Id-Zo and Shara Yi-Nil with red solar rays. But Ursula Hav-Net attacked Captain Atom from behind and threw him into orbit.

"Shall we rescue the so-called men?" Ursula laughed. Kira and Shara joined her.

* * *

Fire and Ice joined the Atom in coordinating an evacuation. Jesse Quick grabbed a hold of Hourman and raced off following Gar-Lo's trail. Samurai created a vortex around Apache Chief and Black Vulcan and carried the aloft as they kept apace of Jesse from above.

Jesse swept Hourman along by infusing him with a portion of her power derived from the Speed Force. He dispensed some Miraclo as they hurried along. Well aware of the Super Friends travelling with them, they all felt confident in the ability to deal with the ranger scout commander.

When they stopped, or landed, Gar-Lo was standing, awaiting their arrival. He beckoned Hourman forward. Rick Tyler was confused.

"Why me?" he asked.

"You're wearing a cape. So are all of them," Jesse explained to him.

Gar-Lo pointed at the dirt. Hourman grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, take a knee."

His right cross knocked Gar-Lo over again. Now Gar-Lo wasn't amused, he was angry. And he came up swinging. Apache Chief intensified his atomic density and joined in Hourman's defense. Black Vulcan stunned Gar-Lo with an electrical discharge. Samurai's elemental powers hurt Gar-Lo because they were magically based. Jesse threw several supersonic punches that staggered Gar-Lo.

Finally, Gar-Lo flew off for Almaty. Jesse breathed a sigh of relief, "How in the world is he fully powered if he just arrived on Earth?"

"Just be glad he hasn't gone all heat vision yet," Black Vulcan added.

"Someone prepared these Kryptonians for life on Earth," Apache Chief deduced, "But not for its mightiest defenders.""

"But we cannot squander that advantage, slim as it is. Their tactics seem well established so I would surmise we are not the first planet they have attacked," Samurai observed.

"We need to brief the others," Hourman realized.

* * *

Even before Gar-Lo returned, the JLU was simply outmanned. Superman found himself wishing that Matrix, Strange Visitor, or especially Kara or even Power Girl were present. And then as if from a dream sequence, Power Girl ripped into the Kryptonian ranks and threw them off balance. Barda quickly maximized the disruption Galatea caused.

John was sidelined tending to Shayera's broken wing. J'onn was reinvigorated by Power Girl's arrival. Obsession seemed confused as how to react to Galatea. Captain Atom dropped out of orbit to rejoin the fight. And then the biggest surprise of all occurred when Kalea intercepted Gar-Lo and fought him one on one.

Kalea whistled and every Kryptonian clasped their ears. Then she kicked Gar-Lo's face. As he stabilized himself, she ruthlessly attacked him. Inara abandoned Barda and went to rescue her squad leader. Power Girl smashed her into the ground.

Gar-Lo's rage accessed his heat vision and Kalea expertly dodged it as he sounded a retreat. The ranger scouts fought their way back to their ship and then lifted off with a four person escort. Kalea pulled the JLU back.

"Even without the crystal shard CPU the automated defenses can be manually overridden. Most of you wouldn't survive them," Kalea warned them.

"What are you doing here?" Superman asked his eldest daughter.

"You're welcome," Kalea drolly retorted.

"Don't think I won't hand you your impudent ass," Barda snarled, "Your attack on Supertown set our defensive posture back years."

"And yet the New Gods endure," Kalea was dismissive.

Power Girl fretted. Kalea hadn't mentioned attacking New Genesis. What else was being hidden from her?

"You harbored a fugitive from Almeracian justice," Kalea reminded Barda, "My mother to be precise."

"Whom you arrested just to take her back to Almerac and put her back on the throne," Superman stated.

"We all play our separate roles," Kalea shrugged.

"So, you're the infamous Kalea-El," Obsession finally got it, "Darling, introduce me."

"And who the hell are you and why should I care?" Kalea snapped.

"I'm your stepmother," Obsession boasted.

Kalea cast an accusing glare at her father.

"She isn't," Superman promised.

"Almost," Obsession interrupted.

Barda clenched her fists. Kalea took that as a positive sign. She was warming up to Barda.

"I think we owe them the full story," Power Girl intervened.

"Gather everyone you can and I'll brief your combined forces," Kalea offered.

"The rest of our team is on the ground," Superman ignored the obvious intonation.

"Not just you, _everyone_ who defends this world," Kalea countered.

"You don't come to Earth and dictate terms," Superman was angry now.

"You've fought a handful of Kryptonians and a few hundred partially energized Daxamites. Do you think you can defeat the full thirteen fully powered members of this ranger scout unit?" Kalea asked tartly, "And keep in mind, Almerac just fought a war against a Kryptonian colony. Or did you think the Daxamites were just a happy accident?"

"Why are they here?" Barda knew enough to be respectful now.

"They lost their world and were offered a new one to exchange for the liberation of theirs. The planet is Earth and the dealmaker is Darkseid," Kalea shared.

"There aren't any more Kryptonians," Superman grated.

"Have you ever heard of a colony?" Kalea rebuffed.

"It's true. New Genesis has kept New Krypton under observation for years in case Darkseid decided to harvest the world," Barda ignored Superman's sullen glare, "We think in terms of multiversal security, not just your feelings."

Obsession smugly smirked over Superman's hurt feelings. Kalea wanted to snap her neck. Barda seemed indifferent.

"Blue Beetle," Superman used his ear piece to signal Ted Kord's alter ego, "Contact the JLA and other teams. We need gather to face this new threat. And tell the JLA we picked up one of their strays."

"The JLA will offer the use of the Hall of Justice," J'onn predicted.

"We can give them that," Superman decided that would be the only concession he would grant. The JLU were the first to respond to this newest invasion and the JLU would retain supremacy over the response.

* * *

The ranger scouts landed in Antarctica and the stealth field baffled human detection. It also reminded the scouts of the frigid world they'd left behind. To their surprise even their native adaptations to extreme temperatures were heightened.

"I don't even feel cold," Gar-Lo boasted.

"The troops are restive," Inara warned him, "Humans weren't supposed to be capable of resisting us."

"Get Kira working on tapping into their transmissions and newsfeeds and Fet-Ed had better get our translators working again before she's finished," Gar-Lo ordered, "I rather doubt Darkseid is honest with anyone. Least of all himself."

* * *

"Nice of you to attend," Trevor mocked Power Girl, "Did you have a nice vacation?"

"It was for a cause," Power Girl told him, "The exact precursor to this one, in fact."

"Where is she?" Trevor wanted to know.

"Who?" Power Girl played dumb.

"Kalea-El," Trevor spouted the name.

"Ask and ye shall receive," Kalea moved through the parting crowd milling about the foyer.

"Would you like to know the exact number of war crimes you've been charged with?" Trevor wondered.

"Well, it wasn't in the name of duty so I can't excuse myself that way," Kalea shrugged.

"Kalea was convicted under Almerac's legal code and exiled for life on Argo," Superman interrupted.

"She looks exiled on dead world," Trevor sneered.

"Give it time," Kalea retorted.

"Is that a threat?" Trevor wondered.

"A warning," Kalea clarified.

"She's here to help," Superman vouched for her, "And she has invaluable information to share."

"You'd say that simply because she's your daughter," Waller came out of her hiding place.

"I'd say that because we have thirteen more Kryptonian on Earth out to conquer to barter with Darkseid to get their own home planet back," Superman countered, "So we need to set aside our infantile rivalries and start listening to what she has to say."


	2. Chapter 2

17

"Lex, Grodd is 'meditating' again," Ultra-Humanite warned the Legion leader.

"Yes, he presumes that Saturn Queen will reactivate his mental powers when she finally attempts to wrest control of the Legion of Doom away from me," Luthor explained, "She sees the future as largely unwritten now that the Legion of Super Villains has returned to their own time and the temporal routes to the future were subsequently closed to her."

"By this Rip Hunter and the Time Masters you mentioned before," Ultra-Humanite ventured.

"Precisely, and Hunter has taken on Booster Gold, Dr. Connelly, and Goldstar as his fellow agents," Luthor added.

"Who else do you presume Saturn Queen has influenced?" Ultra-Humanite asked.

"She began with Brainiac while Lightning Lord and Cosmic King were still among us," Luthor elaborated, "I've checked Brainiac's code. He's isolated a segment of his primary program that he believes I cannot access. And I can't fully access it _yet_ but what I've seen is enough. Everything is stored under a file folder labeled 'Computo'."

"Saturn Queen's influence is being felt though," Ultra-Humanite felt compelled to remind Luthor, "Those rogues claiming to be Legionnaires have exacerbated the world's opinion against us."

"Which is Saturn Queen's plan. First the world unites behind its anger towards us and she destroys the remnant that escapes that wrath," Luthor stated matter-of-factly.

"Are you fully prepared?" Ultra-Humanite wondered.

"Not quite. I've spoken with key personnel while others require further persuasion," Luthor admitted, "Eve Aries is potentially the most powerful telepath in this universe but in the end she's still only human."

"But why the enmity with us?" Ultra-Humanite couldn't fathom it, "Her Legion of Super Villains was assembled in homage to us."

"Pride, plain and simple pride," Luthor explained, "Saturn Queen co-led the LSV with Lightning Lord and Cosmic King. But since she's trapped in this century, she covets being in control of my Legion."

"And that lust for control makes her predictable," Ultra-Humanite grasped the concept.

"Undoubtedly," Luthor agreed, "And as I warned you, if Saturn Queen seizes control of this planet, she will do away with the arts other than those that please her and are for her pleasure only."

"I would have accused you of the same at one time," Ultra-Humanite admitted, "But now I realize your enjoyment of the arts stems from their profitability. And profitability is increased by public viewing."

"You know me too well," Luthor chuckled.

* * *

The first encounter between Kalea and John and Shayera had ended in tragedy when Shayera's pregnancy had been terminated. Now, Shayera's current injury had prompted J'onn to conduct a full medical examination…which revealed her being pregnant again. The couple wondered if Kalea was some kind of pregnancy omen akin to a fabled stork.

With Shayera's wing already broken, she was removed from the active duty roster and assigned to the operations center where her strategic mind could still prove invaluable. John was assigned as the Hall of Justice's defense. As such the couple stood included with Trevor, Waller, Superman himself, Barda, Sue and Ralph Dibney and Hula Hula as Kalea broke down the threat and its historical context as learned from the conquest of New Krypton.

Ranger scouts specialized in attacking less developed worlds and subjugating them without assistance from the Kryptonian fleet assets. It was mere happenstance that no Kryptonians had landed upon a planet orbiting a yellow star. But given that red giants stars dominated the majority of the universe it was also stacked against the Kryptonians from finding one nearby.

Troopers had reported being invigorated upon invading a solar system wrapped around an orange primary star. But the Kandorians never equated that infusion to the star itself. How fortunate for the neighboring systems stretching forth and surrounding New Krypton.

"Five thousand years ago, Krypton began an aggressive colonial outreach and settled dozens of planets. One thousand years ago, they retreated. Most of the colonies died because they didn't have support from the mother planet anymore. Krypton had dismantled their space fleet in allegorical burning fo the ships," Kalea apprised everyone at the strategy meeting, "These ranger scouts are expertly trained to undermine and destroy the infrastructure of inferior planets. And in keeping with traditional Kryptonian tenets all life forms, races, and species are inferior."

"Kandor was the greatest city on the frozen world of New Krypton. That's where I sent Power Girl after I successfully recruited her for the endeavor. Galatea scouted out the weaknesses of the Kandorian defenses and sabotaged them," Kalea recounted, "She was taken prisoner and tortured beyond the ability to bear. Yet she never betrayed my trust or yours."

Trevor and Waller looked a tad more repentant than before. Sue and Ralph wore expressions of victory. Hula Hula was just plain old fashioned impressed beyond reason. J'onn was approving and John and Shayera both looked as though their trust in Power Girl was restored. Only Superman hid his counsel.

"One scout ship broke through Almerac's blockade of the system. One ship reached Argo. That same ship learned about Earth because Argo's sensor grid charted the flight of Kal-El's spacecraft and determined its destination through orbital mechanics," Kalea shared.

"I thought Argo was dead," Barda spoke.

"There are still many active fusion cell power sites on Argo," Kalea advised everyone, "I taught myself a working knowledge of the Kryptonian language studying the local variety encyclopedias."

"But you've stated these Kryptonians are motivated to conquer Earth in order to exchange it for New Krypton. And the being that has endorsed and promised to manage this transaction is Darkseid," Sue reminded everyone.

"Yes, Darkseid is impatient and is looking for a shortcut that doesn't require waiting for Luthor to achieve conquest over Earth Prime or waiting for the twelve Kryptonian embryos to reach maturity or determine the full capabilities of his embryo produced by a union of a Kryptonian and a New Good," Kalea told them all.

"Twelve embryos?" Elongated Man's jaws dropped.

"Each one a would-be sibling," Kalea said sourly.

Ralph's nose started twitching, "That leaves you Supes `cause Maxima isn't a Kryptonian."

Superman shamefully told them how Mala had used him for her own pleasure. Kalea added at the end, "And Darkseid rewarded her with triplets of her own to raise."

"Where did this hybrid come from?" Trevor asked.

"Darkseid assigned a Female Fury named Precious to be Lord Superman's concubine," Kalea revealed, "Once she was impregnated, she left him to return to Apokolips."

"Precious is a useless whore," Barda sneered.

"But it seems her uterus is of preeminent importance to Darkseid," J'onn said without irony.

"The only thing worthwhile about her it seems," Barda snorted.

"I believe her," Shayera said unequivocally.

"You sure?" John wondered.

"This isn't the flippant brat we first met or the vengeful upstart who stole her native throne to try and enslave Earth's population," Shayera observed, "This is a young woman that's embraced her duty to her empress and her people."

"She ordered the death of thousands and tortured her own father," Waller countered.

"But she indirectly saved Earth from the Gordanians when she ended the war between them and Almerac. By pitting the alien Khunds and Dominators against the Gordonians and each other she preserved the rest of the galaxy in order for a united government to form up within the next few hundred years," Superman shared information Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl had shared with him but had only recently unlocked within his mind.

"Can we trust her?" Ralph asked.

"Do we have any other choice?" Hula Hula asked the preeminent question.

"You really don't," Kalea promised them with a fierce smile that reflected the warrior culture she came from.

* * *

The ranger scouts had settled in Antarctica where they felt homesick. They'd tapped into hundreds of military databases. Most important to them, they accessed files on Earth's meta-humans and costumed vigilantes. Gar-Lo was pleased with the results.

"Very few of these 'humans' can actually meet us in battle. This 'Superman' may be mighty compared to humans but he's traitor to his race and pathetic as a soldier. The woman in white with red cape is called Power Girl. She's a clone of the last survivor from Argo," Gar-Lo summarized, "And the stranger in black that attacked me isn't listed amongst Earth's champions. Perhaps she's a mercenary from another world."

"Or perhaps the searches were incomplete," Inara accused the data extraction team.

"Hit your racks and the ration bars. In ten hours time we'll strike again, better prepared this time," Gar-Lo ordered.

Inara remained with him when everyone else reentered the ship, "So there are only one Kryptonian and one Argoan, not counting a mere clone, beyond Kandor."

"So it seems," Gar-Lo agreed, "But there are other survivors from parallel universes."

"We'll kill them too if they don't bow the knee," Inara promised.

"See to the troops and tend to your own needs. I need you fresh tomorrow," Gar-Lo insisted.

She rubbed her crotch, "I have a need right here."

"I need to study further so I can assign targets in the morning," Gar-Lo said neutrally.

"When we were the same rank you wouldn't have refused me," Inara sniffed.

"Different days and planets," Gar-Lo admonished her.

* * *

Back in Clark Kent's Metropolis apartment, Superman was Clark again and Barda…well, Barda was Barda. Barda snarled at Clark, "You'd best not be considering letting that little slut sleep here."

"It hadn't occurred to me," Clark confessed.

"She's as bad as Batman," Barda snorted.

"Except Batman is obsessed with crime and Obsession is obsessed with me," Clark complained.

"You don't even try to discourage her," Barda accused.

"I don't know how to try," Clark admitted.

"Try this to start," Barda went to her room and slammed the door behind her.

Only Diana had ever lived in that room with him in his apartment before. Diana, who'd abandoned their marriage and stolen their daughter, Alexandra, and run away to Themiscyra. The one place on the planet he couldn't follow her.

He decided to catch up on the stories he was scheduled to submit so Perry White would early copy for the Daily Planet's first edition. Otherwise he and Barda wouldn't even have an apartment.

* * *

Barda kicked open the guest room door in the JLU headquarters, "Figures you'd sleep in the nude."

"What do you want?" Obsession threw the covers off so Barda could get a full look if she wanted one.

"You're done. Whether you realize it yet or not," Barda declared.

"Aren't you just pretentious?" Dana Dearden laughed as she got into Barda's face, "I know you want him. And…"

She sniffed Barda's clothes, "Oh. My. God. You live with him and he's still not giving you any. That is the best news ever."

"I will break you," Barda promised.

"No, you won't. _He_ won't let you," Obsession boasted, "And you know why?"

She pointed at her naked breasts, "He wants to play with the girls. He stares at them constantly. I even bet he's used his X-Ray Vision to get a fuller view."

"You're confusing primitive lust for actual attraction," Barda dismissed the idea.

"One usually becomes the other," Obsession smirked, "Does he know you're here or are you totally off the reservation?"

Barda seized Obsession's throat and lifted her off the ground. Dana was completely naked and didn't have her five mystical coins on her to grant their powers to her. Only J'onn's interference saved her life.

"Barda! Stop!" J'onn demanded.

Barda dropped Obsession like a pile of bones on the floor, "Until later then."

"You can't do this," J'onn chastised Barda.

"Tend to your patient," Barda couldn't care less.

* * *

"Can't sleep?" Sue asked Power Girl in the cafeteria within the Hall of Justice.

"Shouldn't you be home?" Galatea asked obliquely referring to Sue's four year old daughter, Alyssa.

"Ralph's home with Alyssa. He'll be spending most of his time with her while I help resolve yet another would be crisis," Sue sighed, "Hula Hula is back on board, and thank god for it. I could delegate everything to him but that'll come soon enough."

"How do you mean?" Power Girl asked.

"Ralph and I are retiring from the JLA as soon as this invasion is over. We'd talked about before but now seems to be a good time," Sue didn't want to mention that Task Force X was the largest singular reason to quit.

"I lost everything in the fire and don't have a home to return," Power Girl couldn't keep the tremor out of her voice remembering her dead husband and the circumstances surrounding that death, "So I've been rifling through ARGUS issue to find something that remotely fits."

"Really? It's that hard?" Sue blithely asked.

Power Girl simply pointed at her large breasts which had finally stopped growing at a 52FF cup. Sue grimaced, "I see your point."

"At least they're not getting any bigger," Power Girl sighed.

"Thankfully you have super back muscles to support them," Sue envied her. The comment reminded Sue of Kalea.

Kalea had volunteered to run over the data collected regarding the ranger scouts thus far. Hula Hula was managing the operations center's search for the Kryptonians. Trevor and Waller had disappeared to parts unknown. Superman and Barda went home as did John and Shayera. But Kalea remained despite her obvious exhaustion.

"Would you mind telling your friend she needs to stand down and get some food and sleep before she drops mid-crisis?" Sue asked.

"I take it she's being stubborn," Power Girl wore a slight grin.

"When is the last time she slept?" Sue ignored the irksome question.

"Five days ago when we left Kandor," PG told her, "And Almerac has thirty-nine hour days by our reckoning."

"Well, she'll get sloppy and get someone I care about killed," Sue warned, "I think it's best if we just try to avoid that scenario."

"Try presenting the situation in those terms," Power Girl suggested, "She'll back off."

"She once tried to kill everyone she's now helping," Sue reminded Galatea, "And she's very…driven."

"Kalea knows she has a lot to make up for," Power Girl clarified, "She truly is reformed. Her selflessness in the face of her unofficial duties as Maxima's agent saved the Almeracian Empire. Then she created the plan for me to enter the Kandorian ranks in order to spy on them and sabotage their defenses. They captured and tortured me beyond my ability to endure yet she took upon herself in the middle of a war zone to rescue me."

"She's going to drive herself insane of she doesn't give herself a break," Sue sympathized.

"It's not an issue," Power Girl told her.

"How can you say that?" Sue wondered.

"Kalea went insane when she invaded Earth," Power Girl explained, "She's never recovered. She just redefined her goals."

A shiver ran down Sue Dibney's back.

* * *

"You know our targets and our opposition," Gar-Lo addressed his troops in Antarctica, "I will direct you from this location. You have your priority targets and everyone else is secondary. Kill every one of your primary targets. We can't leave a single survivor."

Gar-Lo watched his soldiers spread out across the world before activating the ship's ops center. He was confident in his troops' abilities. Each one was a veteran of a dozen campaigns. And each was a world far more advanced than Earth.

* * *

Ret-Gel and Rayni Zeb-Gen smashed through the towering skyline of Metropolis. Towering buildings collapsed as Superman and Barda struggled to respond. They'd only had a second to confer but they agreed that it was better to stop the attack first and excavate for survivors later.

Rayni was staggered by Barda's mega-wand, "Impressive. Care to try your luck without your precious toy?"

Barda bolstered her premier weapon. Rayni was delighted to discover Barda's strength nearly matched her own. But Rayni was still unaware of her weaknesses on this world that Barda utterly lacked.

Rayni got a lucky punch in and Barda sailed over the ocean horizon. Ret-Gel quickly surmised Superman was more powerful but he was a poor fighter. He forced Kal-El to withdrew or be crippled.

Obsession engaged Rayni. Her strength and speed were derived from magic and therefore Rayni was especially vulnerable to her attacks. Obsession bloodied her before Rayni burnt a hole through Dana Dearden's shoulder. Obsession pulled back to quell the pain.

J'onn engaged Ret-Gel directly. Martian strength was near Kryptonian levels. But J'onn's greatest power stemmed from his mind. He could telepathically attack the ranger scout. Or he could phase his body so Ret-Gel's physical attacks were rendered useless. Ret-Gel finally resorted to his heat vision in desperate measure to afflict the Martian somehow.

And as chance would have it, His heat vision pierced a fuel tanker waiting to refill a taxi service garage. The flames licked up towards J'onn and weakened him. Seeing his opponent falter at long last, Ret-Gel took a hold of J'onn and twirled him about before flinging him out to sea like a Martian discus.

Captain Atom came blasting in at Ret-Gel. The quantum energies were mixed with red solar radiation wavelengths so the pounding hurt the ranger scout. Ret-Gel studied his opponent and also learned he had X-Ray Vision. Upon learning Captain Atom's physicality was a containment suit and his real essence the energy within, Ret-Gel shifted the battle into the upper atmosphere where he tore Captain Atom's suit in two.

Rather than bombard Earth with his radioactive being, he aimed himself at the Moon. Before, Captain Atom would have relied upon orbital collectors to recover his energy before he dissipated in the solar wind. But the Power Ring Corps indiscriminately destroyed satellites in orbit all around Earth. It just happened that all of the JLU collectors had been decimated.

Captain Atom felt his energy merging with the solar winds and spreading him out thinner and thinner so he couldn't even keep track of all of his essence. And fighting panic he finally lost consciousness as he lost the last vestiges of cohesiveness.

Ret-Gel dropped to the streets below to observe the pathetic humans as they cowed in fear of him as was only rightly so. Kryptonians were xenophobes at heart. Hating any race or species that was not their own. They enslaved the worlds they conquered and sterilized entire populations so that when the slaves died of mistreatment and absolute fatigue, there wouldn't any others born to replace. Machines could do that.

Hourman and Apache Chief were among the first to lash out against Ret-Gel. He would have laughed at them but he actually felt their blows. Black Vulcan and Samurai joined in as well and pummeled or blasted away at Ret-Gel from all sides.

Jesse led Ice, Fire, and Blue Beetle in helping rescue victims trapped within the rubble of skyscrapers leveled to the ground. The Atom was unseen but he was actively fighting the battle as well.

* * *

Dal-Liv and Fet-Ed arrived in San Francisco in a rare clear, sunny day. When they arrived unannounced and unexpected at Teen Titans Compound, they took the Titans completely by surprise. The Titans, even with Ravager bolstering their ranks, were hardly a match for the rampaging Kryptonians.

Fet-Ed battled Superboy alongside Wonder Girl. He wondered why Superman allowed a definite mongrel to wear the emblem of the House of El. Superboy's own strength was half of the ranger scout's but his tactile telekinesis gave him a ranging weapon. Wonder Girl's Lasso of Thunderbolts rarely fazed Fet-Ed. Victory over them was surprisingly easy to achieve. So he left them for dead.

Dal-Liv dealt with Bunker and Fairchild. Bunker's psychokinetic constructs seemed born of Lantern myth. But the more pressure Dal-Liv applied to them, the greater the strain on Bunker. Finally he caused the youth to pass out and slip into a coma.

Fairchild's strength was nearly equal with Dal-Liv's but Caitlin Fairchild had just began martial arts training with Red Robin and Ravager so his experience greatly outweighed hers and he finished the fight with a savage right cross to her jaw.

Kid Flash, Solstice, Skitter, Beast Boy, Raven, and Red Robin had all fallen to the ranger scouts. Kid Flash and Red Robin being the last to fall. But Red Hood and Ravager lingered in the shadows where the ranger scouts had looked through them on three separate occasions. After the ranger scouts broke off, they headed south.

"I'll tend to the wounded," Ravager volunteered, "You find out why these bastards headed south."

"I still have one or two contacts in the League of Assassins that owe me some favors," Red Hood agreed.

* * *

Kira Id-Zo joined forces with Yi-Nill to kill the newly developed Chinese Trinity team. Super-Man's powers derived from an infusion from Superman himself didn't give him an advantage or defense against the ranger scouts. Wonder-Woman and Bat-Man fell just as easily.

* * *

Yar-Feg and Ran-Dul destroyed the Rocket Red Brigade with the slightest effort. The mechanized Rocket Reds fell first. Those Russian soldiers wearing the newly developed armor died, crushed within it. Gavil Ivanovich, wearing the Apokoliptan Rocket Red armor lasted the longest. He actually staggered the Kryptonians with several different assaults. But they rallied against him and finally proved Apokoliptan armor wasn't proofed against everything.

* * *

Jeg-Set and Ursula Hav-Net lashed out at Albany, New York to draw the JSA All Stars out of the K-Star Ranch. Black Mary was the first to intercept them. And she threw Jeg-Set into the pavement below and landed atop him to begin brutalizing him with rapid fire punches that were as strong as anything Superman could deliver.

Stargirl blasted away at Ursula with her Cosmic Rod. Seeing the ranger scout feel pain from it, Courtney Whitmore added the might of her Cosmic Convertor Belt. And Ursula endured pain like she'd never experienced before as the cosmic might of Stargirl's tools threatened to undo Ursula's atomic bonds.

Jeg-Set was the ranger scout's only corporal. He functioned as a secondary squad leader when Gar-Lo detached the unit into two teams under Inara and himself. But he was immensely embarrassed at being beaten on by a mere slip of a youthful woman.

So Jeg-Set used his knees to throw Black Mary over his head. As they both came up, Jag-Set used every dirty trick he'd ever learned to eventually knock Mary out. Then he joined Ursula. Stargirl shielded herself with a stellar energy barrier before Jag-Set could incinerate her. Then a T-Sphere swooped near her and teleported her rout of harm's way.

Other T-Spheres began delivering All Stars into the fray. Aztek attacked Jag-Set, presuming the male of the species was more aggressive. But Ursula was easily as lethal as her superior officer. Jag-Set marshaled all of his frustration into a single punch. Aztek was sent flying unconscious over the Atlantic, the United Kingdom, and barely splashed down near one f the Jersey Island that lay between the UK and France.

Ursula fought Hawkman and Troia together. She easily smashed Hawkman out of the fight. Troia, a superior fighter on par with Ursula, was distracted by her lover's distress and Ursula knocked Troia through one of the few previously unscathed skyscrapers.

Sand brought earthen works up to snare Jag-Set and bury him. But Jag-Set tunneled his way out and flashed Sand with his heat vision. Sand's particulate body fused into glass and Jag-Set delighted in smashed the statue Sand had become.

Flash supersonic punched Ursula three times before she grew wise to his methods. On the fourth attempt, she clotheslined him. And for the first time in decades, Jay Garrick lay vulnerable to an opponent.

Ursula joined Jag-Set in his defense against Sentinel. And a defense against the Starheart derived, Green Flame powered original Green Lantern was the best they could muster. Seeing the battle had turned against them, Jag-Set ordered a bitter retreat. But Albany was devastated in their wake.

Mr. Terrific teleported in along with Anna Fortune, Atom Smasher, Commander Steel, Judomaster, and Hawk and Dove. Wildcat was leading a separate mission with the Shining Knight, Goldilocks, Lightning, and Jakeem Thunder under his watch.

Anna cast a tracking spell was puzzled by the Kryptonians choice of Antarctica to seek shelter. They were visibly exposed and their heat signatures would be easily detected. The enemy obviously belonged to a military unit of some kind.

"We're taking this to the Justice Leagues," Mr. Terrific decided, "They have greater access to the telemetry we need to pursue this. Hopefully they already have some answers as well."

* * *

Inara Ye-Nev and Fal-Jegg went about devastating New York City the way their cohorts had blindsided Metropolis. Only NYC was larger than Metropolis with more structures to destroy. The JLA was joined by the Conglomerate in a united stand against the Kryptonian soldiers. Trevor brought Vapor up to speed as swiftly as possible.

Power Girl chose Inara as her opponent purely on speculation. What she found was a Kryptonian woman bred to be a soldier just as Galatea herself had been. Their kaleidoscope of attacks and counter attacks was a dizzying sight for spectators.

Wonder Woman engaged Fal-Jegg. Artemis used her quiver full of arrows to get his attention. Because they were each imbued with magic, Fal-Jegg swiftly realized they could harm him. But his super speed outpaced her aim.

As she began to attack him with her sword, he maneuvered to get a clear shot and when he had one, his blow pummeled her through two separate towers. Supergirl led Strange Visitor into battle against him.

Beneath them all, Plastic Man formed a cover to shield civilians while Speedy and Green Arrow tried to lead them to safety. Matrix's psionically based powers in addition to her strength shook Fal-Jegg up. Strange Visitor's energy based powers also hurt him. And together they made way forcing him to retreat.

Fal-Jegg attempted to blindside Power Girl with an attack to her back. But her greater experience with her super senses enabled her to flip him over to swat Inara. The Kryptonians shout out of the area leaving Power Girl, Supergirl, and Strange Visitor whether to chase or assist rescue efforts. In the end they chose the latter.

Kalea aided Sue and Hula Hula in gathering as much data on the separate attacks across the globe. It was now clear to see that the ranger scouts had previously retreated to Antarctica. Kalea explained it was probably motivated by homesickness. But their spacecraft had vanished.

Kalea absently stared at the projection of where the Kryptonians had been while Sue and Hula Hula worked up damage estimates. Finally, Sue wondered if their former antagonist had fallen asleep on her feet, "Kalea?"

Kalea shook herself and pinched the bridge of her nose as she temporarily closed her eyes, "Yes?"

"Don't you think you should get some food and some sleep?" Sue asked, "We honestly can't afford to have you pass out on us."

Sue could see Kalea was irritated but she couldn't fight the logic. Kalea started to leave the Ops Center, "Of course."

"Hula Hula will assign you an escort," Sue reminded Kalea she was still considered an enemy combatant despite the temporary truce, "You should visit the cafeteria on your way."

"Do they have…pizza?" Kalea looked like the guilty adolescent she'd been on her first visit to Earth.

"If they don't have any ready they'll bake one for you. Any toppings you want," Sue promised, "They're used to feeding Trajectory so they'll be ready to give you as much as you want."

"Any ice cream to go with that?" Kalea asked hopefully.

"Of course," Sue promised her as the escort arrived, "I'll wake you if you're needed."

Kalea noted the missing _when_ that had been replaced by _if_ , "Of course."

* * *

Todd Rice sought his twin sister, Jennie-Lynn Haden, and their half sibling who he only knew as Briar Rose. Briar Rose easily fit Thorn's power profile judging by how vibrant all of his house planets looked now. And Thorn had birthed Todd and Jennie-Lynn to flee to England and remarry.

Obsidian had pulled in all of his last favors from his time with Infinity, Inc. Mayflower, Briar Rose's code-name, had served a US military outfit called the Force of July. That force had been dishonored in Afghanistan and imprisoned. Supposedly Mayflower was serving a thirty year sentence while walking around Los Angeles. And she wasn't flagged as a fugitive or an escapee. Rumors had it her sentience had been commuted.

Only ARGUS and the UN's DOE had that kind of pull. So if Mayflower were an agency stooge, why was she with Jade? Jennie-Lynn was the ultimate nonjoiner after what happened to the Infinitors.

The original Infinity, Inc, not the LexCorp disaster, had been children or god-children of the Justice Society. Atom Smasher had been a member beside Jade and Obsidian. The Star Spangled Kid was all grown up and called himself Skyman. A meta-human female Wildcat that was Ted Grant's choice to replace him joined as well as the successor to the Crimson Avenger. And Silver Scarab and Fury were the final members.

Hector Hall discovered he was the son of one of Khufu's reincarnations. But he'd bitterly discover that Carter Hall was the actual reincarnation for this age. Lyta Trevor was the great-great-granddaughter of the elder Steve Trevor. Fascinated with his stories about Wonder Woman, she travelled to Greece had become the host to an avenging spirit called a Fury.

Hector married Lyta when they retired after Solomon Grundy killed Skyman. The Infinitor Wildcat also disappeared into obscurity. The Crimson Avenger's handiwork popped up on the grid once awhile but like the original Sandman, she stayed in the dark belly of the underworld, terrorizing every drop of blood she could squeeze from the Mafia.

Obsidian nervously knocked on Jade's door and hoped his sister would give him a chance that yesterday's encounter had been play acting for the monitors observing him even at home.

Jade opened the door, "Oh. It's you."

"I had to brush you off. I'm under observation at home," Obsidian pled with her.

"Did they follow you here?" Jade was all concerned now.

"Of course but they won't be able to set up before I leave again," Obsidian promised.

"Let's make sure," Jade turned to Mayflower, "We're headed for the roof."

"Happy trails," Mayflower winked.

Once on the roof, Jade recreated a gondola and scooped her brother up in it and flew them to the desert outskirts surrounding Los Angeles to land in Lancaster. Jade smirked, "I think we can talk now."

* * *

Superman was angry over the devastation Metropolis had experienced. Only Barda and Obsession had fought well. Even worse, Captain Atom had run away. Or so he thought until J'onn presented him with the rent containment suit. A call to John and Shayera confirmed a high radioactive explosion in the atmosphere that had seemed to redirect itself to the Moon. But the energy had dissipated unto background radiation levels. And since they didn't have any orbital collectors anymore, the short story was Nathanial Adams was dead.


	3. Chapter 3

10

Glorious Godfrey and Amazing Grace had been the members of Darkseid's Elite to first contact Gar-Lo's unit. Desaad provided the solar panels while Steppenwolf later devised the ranger scouts' strategy. After an angry communication with Steppenwolf, Gar-Lo learned the Kryptonians' ignorance of Earth's defenders had been intentional. It simply a test to see if the ranger scouts were worthy to join Darkseid's armies.

Now, the unit was being directed to petition Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom for support in their endeavor to conquer Earth. Gar-Lo and Inara were barely content to bow and scrape before Steppenwolf. They had no intentions of being supplicants to a mere human.

The news that Luthor had been pledged satrapy over Earth Prime galled the Kryptonians. But the revelation of there being a multiverse comprised of fifty-two universes with varying degrees of surviving Kryptonians populations bolstered their spirits. But whereupon meeting Luthor, it set their teeth on edge.

The arrogantly presumptuous human's pulse didn't even elevate upon regarding the ranger scouts for the first time. Each of them, separately and as a united front, began to plot Luthor's humiliation and ultimate demise.

"These are my lieutenants you wield obey them as you would me," Luthor introduced the Legion of Doom's brain trust, significantly missing Grodd.

"You make evolutionary primitives your equal?" Gar-Lo spat.

"How droll," the Ultra-Humanite sounded bored.

"And just who are you to call us 'inferior'?" Mr. Mind demanded to know from his perch on Dr. Sivana's shoulder.

"Heh-heh-heh, they obviously have inferiority complexes and can bolster their self esteem by berating those less physically capable than themselves," Sivana observed.

"We could always reciprocate and give them something to actually feel inferior to," Half-Ape suggested.

"Try it, freak," Inara goaded him.

Halff-Ape looked to Luthor. Luthor nodded, "Do it."

As Half-Ape accessed an unlocked lead safe, Luthor made introductions, "I believe you should recognize this mineral deposit. After all, it's a remnant of Krypton."

All the ranger scouts began to feel ill and rapidly began to succumb to unexpected weakness and pain as Half-Ape drew out a softball sized oblong chunk of kryptonite. Luthor explained what was happening to the Kryptonians, "This simple rock was altered on an atomic level by the explosion that destroyed Krypton. It emits a mild form of radiation that Kryptonians are highly susceptible to."

Luthor paused for effect, "Each one of us carries a shard of kryptonite that would effectively kill any number of you. Even the worm."

"Caterpillar," Mr. Mind irritably corrected him.

"Here this, high spirits aimed against our common enemies are to be commended but should you turn your focus on my Legion of Doom, you will die painfully and only somewhat slowly," Luthor advised the ranger scouts, "Do we have an understanding?"

Luthor signaled Half-Ape to remove the kryptonite and safely stow it away for future use.

"Steppenwolf spoke of you with some modicum of respect," Gar-Lo revealed, "Now I see why."

"Even a shred of respect from Darkseid's Elite is a rarity indeed," Luthor admitted, "Like you, the New Gods hold a dim view of perceived inferiors."

"You seem to have a grasp upon this trait," Gar-Lo saw.

"It's the curse of my entire life," Luthor chuckled.

* * *

"I see you haven't lost your taste for ice cream and pizza," Superman observed of his daughter, "In abundance"

The Justice Leagues had returned to the Hall of Justice. Many were seeking medical attention before joining their comrades in the cafeteria. Kalea noted that Superman was especially edgy.

"What's on your mind?" she asked between attacking a five meat with the works.

"What happened to Mala and her fetuses?" Superman asked.

"She carried her triplets to term and gave birth on a devastated planet outside the Multiverse," Kalea told him, "The planet was once called Angor."

"Two survivors came here. They were members of the Justice League before they went rogue," Superman said sourly.

"The group that destroyed their world is called the Extremists," Kalea warned, "They're coming here."

"Why?" Superman naively asked.

"They're following Grail," Kalea told him, "And I don't think you're ready for the answer to your next obvious question."

"Then let me ask, why did you come to Earth?" Kal-El asked her.

"Maybe I feel responsible for their being here. Maybe I'm just tired of Ultraa dispatching me to one mission after another that turn out to be ambushes. Maybe I need a distraction because of palace politics. Maybe I'm just bored and needed a distraction," Kalea rattled off, "Or maybe it's all of it wrapped into a tidy package. Whatever it is, I'm here and I'll help and take the prisoners back to New Krypton. Happy?"

"But…" Superman opened his mouth.

Kalea instantly rose and gathered her dishes, "I think I'll get a bowl of ice cream to take to my room and sleep for the first time in five days. I don't suggest interrupting me."

Superman watched his daughter efficiently gather up her ice cream and navigate through the room towards the exit. Along the way she only stopped once. And that was to allow her to offer an Almeracian martial salute to Barda.

Superman approached Barda, who eyed him coldly, "May I sit down?"

"Why should you bother?" she wondered.

"I realize I owe you an apology," he confessed.

"Several actually," Barda corrected him, "Why don't you start off and we'll see where we end up?"

He started and seemed to flow along the path Barda had silently charted for him on his own. Barda was pleased, "I take it Kalea knocked some sense into you."

"Inadvertently," Superman confessed.

"By the way, Captain Atom's energy matrix was lost. In effect he's dead," Barda chided him, "You should have checked in with Sue's Ops Center where they focused every effort to find Captain Atom and gather him back into containment."

"I deserve that," Superman allowed.

"You should," Barda agreed, "You have the power of a New God and an ego to match. You presume to believe you are Earth's only champion and the rest of us are merely your sidekicks. But when you truly needs us, bruised feelings will lend themselves to abandon you in the moment of crisis."

"Ouch," Superman winced.

"Learn from it," Barda rose and left without another word.

* * *

Question and Huntress joined Trevor, Waller, Sue and Ralph, John and Shayera, as well as Plastic Man, Penny, and Hula Hula in the Ops Center. The focus had shifted from a search and rescue revolving around Captain Atom.

"You mean we can't find them?" Waller was irritated because of that news.

"They have some kinda cloaking device like our own Invisible Jet," Penny offered, "They engaged it right after they left Almaty. And we can't find Kalea's ship either."

"Kalea-El stated that there was an alliance between Darkseid and the Kryptonians," Question reminded them, "Wouldn't that presuppose they have a treaty in place with Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom?"

"Let's bring in Kalea and find out," Trevor motioned for an Ops aide.

"Absolutely not!" Sue stormed into Trevor's face and dismissed the aide, "That girl hasn't slept in days. She wants to help but she's useless to us if she's incoherent."

"You believe she's telling us the truth?" Waller wanted clarification.

"She's telling us _a_ version of the truth. Her loyalties begin and end with her mother and her native empire," Sue shared, "But she absolutely views Apokolips as a threat to her government. And she'd willingly die in Almerac's defense."

"What about Power Girl?" Waller wondered, "She's spent months in Kalea's company. She may know secrets Kalea is withholding. Like where she landed her damn ship."

"Damn it, Amanda. Galatea's husband had just been killed. She wanted to go someplace unfamiliar and grieve. Kalea opened a door to that and save trillions of live sat the same time," Sue recounted from Power Girl's debrief.

Hula Hula had sat in on the debriefing, "Don't forget, the moment PG heard there was a threat against Earth, she came home."

"Agreed," Trevor decided, "And we need her to overcome this crisis."

"Very well," Waller allowed but still sounded skeptical, "Where is Power Girl at this moment?"

"Checking up on Professor Emil Hamilton," Sue told her, "He's been worried since her disappearance."

"Indeed, Professor Hamilton's grief was genuine as rules him out of Kalea-El's conspiracy," Question mused aloud.

"Can you even pretend to have a heart?" Sue demanded of him.

"Of course I have a heart. I'd be dead otherwise," Question remarked.

"Give it a second," Sue threatened him.

"Puh-lease," Question dismissed her out of hand, until Sue's right cross knocked his hat off as it staggered him.

"Whoa, Q! You just let Sue Dibney cold cock you," Huntress was impressed.

"Let's take you somewhere private where I can see the bruise form up," Huntress dragged her husband out of the Ops Center.

Sue shook her hand, "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! And ow, dammit!"

"That was expertly done," Trevor was impressed.

"I spent the early years with this idiot being a target," Sue pointed at the Elongated Msn, "So I learned how to fight back."

No one mentioned that it was after she'd been beaten and raped by the original Dr. Light.

"Now that the Olympic boxing is done, let's focus on finding the Legion of Doom," Waller redirected her crowd.

"The International Security Agency and all United Nations' resources have been denied us," Hula Hula reported, "And Claire Montgomery didn't take our excluding the Conglomerate from our search."

"Mr. Terrific was equally pissed when we turned the All Stars' help down after all the news coverage from Kazakhstan," Sue added.

"If we fail, the All Stars and Conglomerate will have more than ever to accomplish," Waller grunted.

* * *

The dome-like Hall of Doom rose from the murky swamp waters so that its forward windows formed "eyes" and its grate-like main entrance formed a face with a skull-like resemblance. Holographic camouflage protected the hall from nearby surveillance as well as orbital cameras platforms. Chameleon units built into the exterior kept the Hall at the same ambient temperature as the surrounding area. The Kryptonians recognized Brainiac as being a more advanced version of Kandor's own controlling AI.

Not many of the locals ventured any distance into the swamp but three poachers had come far enough to enter the holographic field and reveal what lay within. So Legionnaires had organized a mock jury, judge, and prosecutor to toy with poachers before inevitably putting them to death in a creative fashion.

Luthor provided an in-depth briefing on the nature and number of Earth's defenders. Luthor explained their lack of data beforehand, "Darkseid typically doesn't provide complete to accurate threat assessments. He likes to see how his allies and minions will react under pressure."

"Still, we did well against several of your Earth-based defenders," Gar-Lo boasted.

"Yes, you performed admirably against children and hapless half wits," Luthor sneered.

"Watch your tongue," Gar-Lo threatened.

Luthor thumb open the pouch on his belt lined with lead. Green light emitted from it. And with it, deadly kryptonite radiation.

"Never presume to threaten me," Luthor advised the stricken ranger scout leader.

"Now," Luthor safed the kryptonite again, "Let's discuss how to properly conquer Earth."

Blackstarr organized the sham trial. Her years as a Nazi organizer served her well. She assembled nine jurors willing to play along. They were Catalyst, Javelin, Outlaw, Sportsmaster, Punch and Jewelee, as well as Yasemin Soze, Dr. Alchemy, and Dr. Phosphorous. Two-Face served as prosecutor and Brainiac mounted a half hearted defense. The legal code was derived from the Bible of Crime.

The illusion of a potential release, as petitioned by Brainiac, kept the poachers' hopes alive in the face of certain doom. Luthor explained the torment of that proposition.

"Humanity clings to illusions that offer them hope or succor. Take that hope away and they'll resort to desperate measures. Enough to pose an actual threat," Luthor shared.

"In our society, the servile are sterilized and the last generations work until they perish," Inara broke her silence.

"But those servants don't possess dormant meta-genes," Luthor replied and then he recognized their ignorance. So explained Darkseid's command of harvest metas and activating their gen factors and making them slaves.

"Even so," Inara protested, "None can much us for sheer might"

"A human called "Majestic' can as well as another named 'Apollo'. Both are gen active and register Kryptonian level strength, speed, flight capability, and durability," Luthor described them.

"Known weaknesses?" Gar-Lo wanted to know.

"Majestic's only known weakness is the need for oxygen," Luthor smugly told him, "Apollo's weakness is emotional. Threaten his husband and you'll find him malleable."

The Kryptonians clearly didn't approve.

"Do not harm the woman called 'Obsession'. She currently wears the sigil from the House of El," Luthor explained, "I persuaded her to infiltrate the Justice League in exchange for Superman. Fortunately for me, I never specified if he'd be alive or not."

Luthor prepared the ranger scouts and selected key Legionnaires for further attacks. Meanwhile he pondered contacting Deathstroke and Nyssa Raatko. Nyssa had surprised Luthor. First she'd romanced Black canary. And then when she toppled Talia al Ghul off of the throne, Black Canary had been placed there instead. Nyssa had always claimed to have a lack of desire to rule over the Leagues of Shadow and Assassins. Luthor just hadn't believed it.

The plan was structured as three simultaneous attacks of varying strength. The ranger scouts would divide themselves up between the three parties. Gar-Lo would lead the largest grouping to Gotham City in order to engage the bulk of America's super teams. Inara would lead a smaller contingent to the dark side of Earth's Moon to destroy Stormwatch and kill Apollo and as many of his fellow agents as possible. Jeg-Set would deploy with a single ranger scout to proceed to Mongolia and kill Majestic.

Luthor would deal with the two greatest threats on Earth were made allies for the duration. Deathstroke could be reached through Billy Wintergreen. Nyssa's whereabouts would be more difficult to ascertain but eventually if he rattled enough cans she'd contact him.

Jeg-Set brought Shara with him to hunt Majestic. They landed before the cavernous yurt Majestic dwelt in. Their heat vision was intended to get his attention. The screams of women Majestic kept as pleasure whores lifted throughout the night.

Majestic was naked when he emerged out of the flames, "What do you want?"

"No human could survive that," Jeg-Set protested.

"Didn't you listen to the briefing?" Shara was disappointed, "He's nearly one of us."

Majestic surged forward at super speed and his right cross dislocated Jeg-Set's jaw. Shara launched a kick at Majestic. He caught her ankle and them lifted and threw her to the ground a dozen times. Finally he delivered a concussive blow to the back of her head and she passed out.

Jeg-Set relocated his jaw with a quiet scream. Jeg-Set flew towards Majestic but the human caught the Kryptonian by the collar and twirled him about in a figure 8 before slamming him against the unforgiving ground.

Majestic allowed Jeg-Set to rise. The Kryptonian wiped blood from his lips, "You're a soldier."

"Big whoop. So are you," Majestic dismissed the classification out of hand.

"I'll enjoy this then," Jeg-Set declared.

"Me too," the man once known as Bronski agreed.

Their fight was at super speeds unheralded by man. The sound of their blows were like thunderclaps over the steppes. The clash of titans was so immense it awoke Shara.

Her vision was blurred and doubled but quickly refocused. She suddenly wished she could see into Majestic and her X-Ray Vision activated for the first time. Flying over behind Majestic, she could see his beating heart. Giving Jeg-Set a silent signal, he stepped off to the side.

Shara's heat vision burned its way through Majestic's back. As she turned, it burned away skin and muscle. Facing her, he began his slow march towards her. His heart vaporized and he still continued coming at her. His hands were on her throat before his body finally registered its own demise.

"You could have helped," Shara accused.

"If he hadn't finally dropped when he did I would have pulled him off of you," the ranger scout corporal assured her.

"I'm sure you would have," she sneered.

"It's no wonder Darkseid wishes to tame these humans," Jeg-Set changed the subject, "They can be powerful."

"So can Almeracians. And they don't require a yellow sun to be so," Shara reminded him.

"Once Darkseid liberates Kandor, we'll deal with Almerac first hand," Jeg-Set prophesied.

"We'd better return to the humans' swamp headquarters," Shara sighed, "I don't trust that bald human that leads them."

"Or any human for that matter," Jeg-Set clarified.

Inara led Rayni, Ursula, and Kira to the Moon. Their attack was unexpected and efficiently brutal. Stormwatch technicians of every classification died by the droves. Jack Hawksmoor was the first special agent to die. His powers weakened by his distance from an urban center.

Jenny Quantum got the Projectionist to safety. But Weatherman stayed behind to destroy the records servers and the associated networks. Kira and Rayni saved him the trouble by destroying everything in their path, including Weatherman.

Ursula and Inara had Apollo and Midnighter on the run. Ursula personally killed Midnighter and Apollo went mad with grief. His ultimate expression of power was a "solar flare" projection of solar energy. But it energized the Kryptonians and left him powerless before them. Fortunately, Inara killed him before the cold vacuum of space did.


	4. Chapter 4

16

Luthor was pleased to learn Nyssa and her Injusticers were raiding Gotham as the Legion deployed. Her lesson to Gotham City's administrators was intended as a wakeup call. Because if Gothamites failed to rally for reforms, Dinah Laurel Drake Lance the Demon would dispatch her League of Assassins to purge the city and any foolish enough to stand against them. Black Canary was having difficulty restraining the League of Shadows from implementing the strike now.

The Injustice League was attacking power, electrical, and water resources. It took David Cain joining the Wrath to stop Batman's effort to intervene. Major Disaster, with Big Sir as his bodyguard, used a controlled seismic event to shatter Gotham's coal driven power plant. As the power ebbed in sequential grids, the only lights remaining inside the city were those buildings with emergency generators.

Elsewhere, Killer Frost froze the now stilled waters from the treatment plant thereby bursting the pipeline networks. She rather enjoyed doing the same to the sewer plant and almost wished she'd be around when things thawed. Lady Flash and Aresia brought Killer Frost to the power plant so that Aresia and Lady Flash could join in harassing Batman.

Cain called off the attack upon receiving a text from Nyssa. Albeit frustrated at his failures, Batman was grateful for the reprieve. For the first time since adopting his Beyond Batsuit, as he thought of it, he felt the damage to his heart threatening to impair him. Once upon a time he could have called upon Alfred to route him to the Injusticers. But Alfred had left his post. Nightwing had angrily severed all ties. Batgirl had done the same. Robin, the boy's damaged mind, didn't need any reminders of what the Joker and Harley Quinn had done to him, so both Batman and Bruce Wayne kept their distance.

Oddly enough, the most helpful people in his life were two women that were actually one. Jaina Hudson was a meta-human who created a second persona with the power of her mind. The White Rabbit and Jaina had aided Batman on several fronts but always in alignment with their own agendas.

Batman summoned his airborne Batmobile and used his flight jets to reach the underbelly hatch. Once inside, he tapped into the police band radios and was horrified at the breadth of Nyssa Raatko's plan. So he rushed to City Hall.

Dropping out of the Batmobile he crouched atop the City Administration building. Using a grappler, he rappelled down and saw the city's political elite gathered around a conference table. And each was pierced through the heart with a black arrow.

Batman slid the window open and stealthily entered in. Reaching the door, he glanced out into the hallway. And ducked his head back inside as an arrow imbedded into the door frame. But the glance had afforded him an opportunity to identify those Injusticers inside the building.

Syonide was the outsiders regarding methodology. Nyssa, Merlyn, and Dark Archer were the archers. He heard departing footsteps and he shifted out into the hallway. Nyssa had an arrow nocked in her bow and stood her ground.

"I see you've been infected with the family madness," Batman sneered.

"Quite the contrary, you'll find the honest councilmen and women weren't summoned. They can lead the resurrection of Gotham or the next chastisement will be its demise," Nyssa warned him.

"Black Canary would never authorize Gotham's destruction," Batman countered.

"You of all people should know how the death of a loved one changes one's perspective," Nyssa snorted, "Dinah lost Oliver Queen. I lost everyone in Auschwitz. After Ra's found me after the war I soon realized I had found my paternal sperm donor rather than a father. And in the end he even took Talia from me."

Batman couldn't fathom the hidden meaning behind those words. Even though Nyssa had banished Ra's inhabiting Talia al Ghul's body to the hinterlands to waste away trapped in his own daughter's nobody, Nyssa still wouldn't reveal the truth of Ra's continued existence.

Batman could prove to be a valuable ally in the short term but White Rabbit had shared the truth of his damaged heart. Batman's next fight could be his last. And without Alfred Pennyworth or any other former member of the Bat Family, he too would wither and die wallowing in his bitterness and rage over his impotence to change the fate of the world.

"One of my people has applied mind control over Lt. Bullock," Nyssa revealed, "And Bullock used his familiarity with Commissioner Gordon to ambush her."

"Tell White Lightning that if anything happens to Barbara Gordon I will hunt her down," Batman advised Nyssa.

"Still pining?" Nyssa mocked him, "I guess you should've _before_ the divorce."

"What are your terms?" Batman asked.

"Your heart must be giving even more difficulty that I ever anticipated," Nyssa gloated, "I demand free passage for my people out of Gotham."

"Injustice League only," Batman counter-offered.

"You'll be too busy to apprehend the others anyway," Nyssa allowed, "Penguin and Two-Face will direct their gangs to take advantage of blackout. So will Mad Hatter and Tea Party. And you can expect Joker's Daughter to unleash her Jokerz on Gotham."

"I've been wrong about you," Batman realized, "You're the greatest danger from your lineage."

"Thank you, one does rise to meet an opponent's expectations," Nyssa began moving sideways to go down the main stairwell. She still had her arrow nocked to the bowstring but wasn't drawn back.

Once outside, Nyssa contacted the Injustice Rogues and the Injustice Titans and warned about what was coming their way.

* * *

The Injustice Rogues were raiding the financial district, using line code, trojans, and tapeworms to steal billions. The computing alterations circumvented they time stamps that would invalidate the trading. Select billionaires were targeted and every one of them would be financial destitute when the markets opened the next day.

Silver Sorceress and Blue Jay understood Nyssa's reasoning and respected Black Canary's endorsing the mission. But the greed displayed by Blacksmith, Girder, and Plunder disturbed the former Champions of Angor. Murmur had slaughtered the security detail and was making "art" with the spilled blood. Scandal Savage and Knockout were also aloof from the proceedings for entirely different reasons.

It ended when Silver Sorceress teleported everyone back to Nyssa's safe house.

The Injustice Titans disrupted commutations and traffic control systems whether motor vehicular or train. Dreadbolt and Disruptor shorted out the traffic light control systems. Even when electrical power was restored, the signals would be inoperable.

Windfall, Match, and TNTeena destroyed the city's congested skyline of cell towers and radio transmission relays. Inertia fragmented satellite receivers and transceivers. Sun Girl assisted Enigma in melting down the underground train and above ground rail system controllers. The Injustice Titans reunited with the Injustice League and made their way out of Gotham City to a manor mere miles from Wayne Manor. An irony not lost on Nyssa.

Immediately after the Injusticers' coincidental withdrawal, Gar-Lo led a mixed ranger scout and Legionnaire unit into Gotham.

* * *

Luthor went to the Hunt Club outside of Nairobi. The clubhouse was built when the English Kenya colony was established. Oddly, as Nairobi grew into a modern metropolis, it never overtook the manor house. And it was here that hundreds of private armies and individual mercenaries kept agents to arrange meetings regarding contracts.

It was here Slade Wilson had agreed to meet Luthor. Wintergreen frequently served as Slade's business manager and major domo. The man more responsible than anyone for Slade transforming himself into Deathstroke.

Slade was in civilian clothing but Luthor was confident the world's highest paid merc was well aimed albeit discreetly. They ordered their drinks from the bar and sat down at a table suspiciously out of every other patron's earshot. Slade's eye patch was a customized, form fitting black piece of equipment. It was as discreet as humanly possible barely drawing attention to Slade's missing right eye. His daughter Rose wore a silver counterpart on her left eye.

"What do you want, Lex?" Slade asked him in a straightforward manner.

"It's still odd seeing you reverted back to my own age," Luthor deflected the question, "I was always comforted by the fact your meta-human metabolism didn't slow your aging. Now that's hardly the case."

"It was I-Ching's gift so that I wouldn't be recognized by Odysseus when I infiltrated his cult to free Rose and eliminate Joe as a threat," Slade recalled knowing Luthor had undoubtedly scooped up all the dirty details.

"Your solution was to kill you surviving son," Luthor chuckled, "I admire the efficiency you displayed but I'm certain it played the largest role in why Ravager left your side."

Luthor saw the flick of irritation in the corner of Slade's mouth, "And how is Colonel Kane these days?"

"Adie's fine, which you already knew," Slade warily answered.

"She's devoted an entire CIA Task Force to killing you," Luthor unnecessarily reminded him.

"I'm glad you're keeping score," Slade was done with the games, "Why are we here?"

"I need to hire an insurance policy," Luthor began his explanation.

"The Kryptonians," Slade remarked.

"Just the same," Luthor replied, "I want them to wreak as much havoc as possible. But when the dust settles and they attempt to claim Earth itself as their prize, I need whoever is left standing eliminated."

"I'm well prepared for that contingency and so are my associates," Slade assured him.

"I'll pay a billion for the insurance and a further billion for each Kryptonian you and your associates kill," Luthor shared, "Understood?"

"Never so much more than now," Slade shook Luthor's hand.

* * *

Captain Cold and the Rogues were sent to negotiate with Nyssa and the Injusticers. Nyssa pretended to pout, "I'd feel insulted that the great man didn't approach me himself. But I suppose hiring Deathstroke to kill any surviving Kryptonians when this ends is a greater priority. Tell me why he wants me to step aside and let things progress unhindered?"

"I'm impressed but Luthor didn't entrust in me with his motives," Captain Cold shared.

"Then what's the point?" Nyssa wondered.

"If you abstain from interfering then Luthor will subject his world government to the censure of the League of Shadows," Captain Cold pledged.

"It would be anyway," Nyssa said dryly.

"But this way it's an act of cooperation rather than resistance," Captain Cold explained.

"We'll see," Nyssa was dubious, "But I accept the terms. I'll advise Black Canary."

"Pleasure doing business with you," Captain Cold gave her a mock salute.

Nyssa kept silent about the League of Assassins' plan for Cold and his Rogues.

* * *

In a brazenly pornographic mansion in Beverly Hills. Statues will blatant erect genitals and phallic colonnades dominated the landscape. Those in the know understood that Vivid had a ravenous sexual appetite and enjoyed a hundred man gang bang every day. To sate her appetite in between the statuary was intended to her to employ its full functionality until she was so orgasmically overwhelmed she could barely function from exhaustion.

Vivid's agent had caught her between statues and Vivid was irate, "What do you mean you lost contact with him?"

"Todd Rice went to his sister's apartment, just like you said he would," the identical triplet sisters reported.

"Then she flew off the rooftop and took him with her," the center sister reported.

"We can't fly," another said aggressively.

"You idiots!" Vivid snarled. One sister was blasé, another sullen, and the third winced. Then the entity known as Triad fused back into one whole being.

"I can't be everywhere," Triad stated the blatantly obvious.

"It seems you're getting a tad independent," Red powdery gas began to waft from Vivid's mouth. She roughly grabbed Triad's hair and forced her mouth upon Triad's. As the gas took effect, Triad melted into the embrace and she triplicated once more and began tugging at Vivid's clothing.

"No time for group sex, I'm afraid. Get back to the apartment and I'll swing spotters that way to cover the area until you get there," Vivid ordered.

Vivid seethed. Jade was proving to be even more problematic than she'd originally estimated. Obsidian was one of her star attractions and was booked out for months in advance. But twin sister wanted to crumble Vivid's quasi-legal empire. But even Jade could die.

* * *

Jade stared down Obsidian, "Well? I'm waiting."

"Vivid emits a gaseous toxin that gives her control over people's minds. She even forced me into sex with her," Obsidian shared.

"Todd, I'm sorry. I know you have to feel violated," Jennie-Lynn consoled him know her brother was homosexual.

"Her entire business is built on luring men and women into casting calls and dosing them into servility," Obsidian continued, "But she's expanding her businesses beyond her ability to apply the necessary weekly dose."

"So how does she maintain control?" Jade wondered.

"Vivid frequently retires porn stars and puts them into one of two new roles. One is an escort and the other is as an enforcer," Obsidian told her.

"One of my regulars and I are planning on leaving together," Obsidian told his sister.

"Todd, you aren't living out the gay version of _Pretty Woman_ ," Jade scolded him.

"He asked me to marry him," Obsidian corrected her.

"Maybe you are," Jade breathed.

"Dwayne is meeting me at your apartment and then we have a flight out of LAX," Obsidian told her, "I want you to be a part of the wedding. And if you can, break the news to dad and try to get him involved as well."

"He'll be happy to be included and so am I," Jade promised him, "Now I guess I should get you back to your fiancé."

"I knew you'd understand," Obsidian gloated.

"I don't understand how you ended up in a casting call with Vivid but the rest of it is pretty straightforward considering our lives," Jade warned him.

"I was homeless, broke, and lonely after leaving the Shadow Realms," Obsidian revealed, "I guess I thought if I couldn't find love I could settle for sex."

"And you found both," Jade remarked.

"It's the life I never thought I could ever have," Obsidian admitted.

* * *

"Outside your apartment!" Obsidian pointed at the street, "The Porsche! That's Dwayne's car."

"He's early and we're late," Jade frowned.

The landed and Obsidian opened the passenger door to find Dwayne slumped over with his resting on the steering wheel. His mouth was frothy with salivating foam. Obsidian ran around the car and jerked door open to pull Dwayne out.

"Jennie-Lynn, please," Obsidian begged his sister.

"He's OD'd on something," her power pulse in her hand burned with emerald flames, "I can get him to a hospital but I can't guarantee anything else."

"Please, just try!" Obsidian pleaded as Jade scooped up Dwayne in a construct gurney and flew away.

"Get where I can see you, Triad," Obsidian shouted.

"Tut-tut, can't even keep your loved ones safe," Triad vacated a bus stop.

"I swear to God I'll kill you if you try any if that tri-jitsu bullshit of yours on me just to take me back to Vivid's prison," Obsidian warned her.

"But it's such a pretty prison," Triad triplicated, "And you have to stop us first."

Obsidian knew Triad's personality was subdivided when she split apart. One third was aggressive, one was tentative, and the third was a bland balance. But it was late evening in Los Angeles and there were hardly any shadows for Obsidian to work with or from since the front of the building faced west.

But Mayflower burst from the lobby doors, "Take a hike, Luvvie!"

"Maybe you should take your own advice," Triad advised.

"I think not," Mayflower was defiant.

The shrubbery meant to appeal to the tenets began to twist and grew at a phenomenal rate. All of Triad's triplet bodies were quickly snared. Mayflower taunted them, "What's that, dearie? I can't hear you."

"Thanks, I treated you like cast off tissue and you came through for me," Obsidian realized.

"That's family for you," Mayflower replied, "I called ARGUS into this. They'll take custody of our happy assassin with a tripled migraine. Who is she anyway?"

"A poor dupe that became one of Vivid's porn stars. When she got too old to star in films so she became Vivid's number one enforcer," Obsidian explained.

"I suppose she'd be ripe for the gang bang crowd," Mayflower mused.

"Actually, she usually triplicated and had sex with herself. They were labeled the 'Ultimate Masturbation Films'." Obsidian regretted having to say, "How'd you know I was in trouble?"

"Jade called me and the plants confirmed it," Mayflower shrugged, "I think its best we get you somewhere away from here where Vivid won't know to look for you."

"You have any ideas?" Obsidian was too fraught over Dwayne to think clearly.

"Actually, I do," Mayflower grinned.

* * *

Gar-Lo's force merely ratcheted up the terror in Gotham that night. Sue and Kalea had worked out a strategy for dealing with a renewed attack. Sue didn't alert Kalea as to the rising threat nearby. Instead Hula Hula ran operations while Sue strategized amendments to the plan as needed.

"Traitors from the House of El recalled our people from our colonial holdings a thousand years ago. It seems cowardice remains a family virtue," Gar-Lo taunted Superman.

"The colonies remained xenophobic extremists while Kryptonian society had evolved into a planet of tolerance," Superman replied.

"And its weakness of acceptance led to its destruction," Gar-Lo sneered, "Once, Krypton could have fielded a fleet to conquer a new world and what did your era boast? A single ship to save a baby."

Let's see if how the product of cowards can fight," Gar-Lo attacked Superman. And easily humiliated him.

Obsession swooped in and hammered away at Gar-Lo. Her mystical might and thunderbolts deeply affecting him. But Luthor had listed the ranger scouts' abilities for them and now they'd practiced in using them.

And Gar-Lo had queried Brainiac as to Obsession's weaknesses. While she was immune to the use of her tremendous strength, she was vulnerable to physical harm and attack. So Gar-Lo ducked under a punch and smashed her ribs into her lungs.

Superman replied with a punch with more power than he'd ever put behind anything other than a fight with either Darkseid or Mongul. He knelt and cradled Obsession's broken body, "Why?"

She smiled between coughing up blood, "Do you need to ask?"

Then Dana Dearden died in Superman's arms and she'd never been happier.

* * *

Power Girl met Ret-Gel as an equal. He deduced that he was physically more powerful but she was faster and had better control over her myriad abilities. She opted for heat vision after several rounds with her.

Power Girl deftly evaded the beams no matter where Ret-Gel applied the. Finally she scowled, "Okay, we do this your way."

Her heat vision severed his right arm at the elbow. Whimpering, Ret-Gel fled before her. Power Girl let him go and moved on to helping teammates in peril.

* * *

J'onn Jonzz pitied Ran-Dul as the Ring of Volthoom tore into his mind. Jessica Cruz tamed Power Ring's weapon but it still sapped life energies out of the Kryptonian. J'onn warned Jessica when Ran-Dul' life force ebbed.

Power Ring released the ranger scout and Ran-Dul followed Ret-Gel's path.

Barda fought with the ferocity that had made the original leader of the Female Furies before her defection opened the position up to Lashina just as Lashina's absence made way for Bernadeth. But the New God still wasn't a full blooded Kryptonian. So Barda was happy to oblige Power Girl's ambush by distracting Dal-Uv. And Barda felt no remorse at Power Girl snapping the man's neck.

Barda knew many necks would need snapping before this was done. So she vowed to protect Galatea from Superman's indignation. It was well and good of Kal-El to take a vow of nonlethal intervention. But the rest of the multiverse operated quite differently.

* * *

Wonder Woman fought Fet-Ed head on. But his super speed meant she never delivered a lethal blow despite her weapons' enchantments. But she did provide Steve Trevor with his opening to but three kryptonite laced red solar bullets in Fet-Ed's heart.

"Thank you, Colonel. I wasn't able to finish him on my own," Artemis said without bitterness or remorse. A new attitude for her.

"I'm just sorry it took so long for me to set up," Trevor confessed, "I was afraid he'd gain an advantage over you and inflict some real harm."

Artemis couldn't help but laugh, "And I felt that way about you."

"With everything that keeps happening we've never managed to have that little talk we promised ourselves," Trevor told her.

"I'd thought forgotten or were avoiding the topic," Artemis admitted.

"I'd never do anything to avoid being with you," Trevor promised.

Artemis' cheeks turned as scarlet as her hair.

* * *

Yaro-Feg faced nine JLers at once. As the senior JLer present, the Atom helped direct Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, Samurai, Blue Beetle, Fire, Ice, Captain Atom, Hourman, and Jesse Quick against the ranger scout.

Atom changed the situation when he redirected Blue Beetle to lead half the team in civilian evacuations. Captain Atom took charge of the Super Friends and reinvigorated the struggle against Yaro-Feg. But the Kryptonian cut down both Black Vulcan and Samurai with his heat vision. Then when Apache Chief increased his molecular density, Yaro-Feg punch through his heart and killed him as well.

Captain Atom went berserk and unleashed every iota of quantum power against the ranger scout. Yaro-Feg ripped Captain Atom's containment suit and Nathaniel Hale had to redirect his energy dispersal towards the heavens. Otherwise he would yield a nuclear explosion that would consume the east coast.

Before the Power Ring Corps' incursion, satellites in orbit would have collected Captain Atom's energy matrix and restored him to a new containment suit. But most of the world's satellites had been destroyed by Volthoom and his servants. As Captain Atom's energy flashed out to space, it was dispersed amongst the solar wind and by the time it went past the Moon, it was indistinguishable from the solar system's background radiation.

Atom watched in horror as Captain Atom surged into space, he ran towards Yaro-Feg. He shrank as he leapt towards the Kryptonian's nose. Riding the blood in the circulatory system until he was inside Yaro-Feg's brain. And then he triggered his suit's growth mechanism and tore apart Yaro-Feg's vulnerable brain until he hit the indestructible skull.

Having killed Yaro-Feg, he made his way through the skull until he reached the ear canal and broke through the eardrum to reach the outer world and grew to his natural stature.

Blue Beetle stood stunned. Fire was adamant, "He did what he had to, Beetle."

Ice seemed to be in agreement despite her horror at the act. Hourman and Jesse kept their opinions to themselves. Atom turned to them all and reorganized their efforts.

"The Justice League is still out there and so is the enemy. So let's get with it and help them out," Atom demanded.

* * *

Most of the JLA fought Fal-Jegg. Guy Gardner served as the big gun while Hawkman and Troia harried the Kryptonian. Vigilante and Vixen were poised to jump in. Animal Man and Crimson Fox blocked an escape route. Starling and Bat-Girl were uplinked with the Hall of Justice and providing constant updates. Meanwhile, General Glory, Azrael, Trajectory and Plastic Man were ready to implement Sue's battle plan.

Fal-Jegg got a grip on Troia's ankle and threw her at a nearby building. Hawkman swooped in to provide a barrier between her and the steel, concrete and glass building. The impact knocked them both out and they fell lifelessly towards the street level twenty-three stories below. Guy caught them but left himself open and Fal-Jegg's fist concussed Guy's head and he went down as well.

Starling and Bat-Girl picked up the attack. But Fal-Jegg took no chances. Using his super speed, he rushed forward and snapped Starling's neck. Bat-Girl didn't even have an opportunity to realize what had happened before her skull was smashed through a postal drop box and then crushed as Fal-Jegg flattened the box.

Animal Man leapt into the air to pounce on Fal-Jegg and found his flesh seared off of his bones through a flash of heat vision. Crimson Fox's leg was broken by a glancing blow from Fal-Jegg and Ri pulled her out to heal her leg.

Darknight employed his mastery of King Fu in order to confound the ranger scout. But he was killed all too quickly. Ri, enraged by grief, attacked but she went down almost as effortlessly. Trajectory's arrival saved Question and Huntress from an identical fate. But after several supersonic punches, Trajectory had to rest up.

General Glory kept Fal-Jegg busy while Vigilante knocked him off of his feet with hyperkinetic rounds. Azrael intervened with a gaseous kryptonite grenade. Fal-Jegg retreated before Azrael could reload. Which unknown to Fal-Jegg, he wore Plastic Man in disguise.

* * *

Elongated Man and Vibe monitored and deflected Penguin's activities while Gotham endured. Catwoman and Catgirl oversaw Two-Face's gang. They operated in defeating his efforts by staying ahead of the gang and robbing their targets before Two-Face could. But Two-Face's coin toss allowed him to report their activities to the Hall of Justice.

* * *

Green Arrow and Speedy curtailed Mad Hatter's Wonderland Gang's activities. They ran a running battle to keep up and interfere in the looting. Spoiler joined up with her roommate, Bluebird, and kept track of Joker's Daughter and her Jokerz. Unknown to any of them, Batman was dealing with Bane. As a direct result of Batman's intervention, Bane left Gotham and the United States to work with the Scarecrow on a hybrid of Venom and fear toxin.

* * *

Commissioner Gordon knew that the GCPD was frankly overwhelmed. Discussing the matter with Mayor Hill, she implored him to allow her to deputize the JLU since it had arrived with the JLA and they in turn were deputized by ARGUS. Hill quickly agreed and Barbara updated her officers to cooperate with the Justice Leagues.

Gar-Lo promised his remaining troops that they would have their revenge over the losses of Dal-Uv, Fet-Ed, and Yaro-Feg. The Kryptonian officer made a decision, "Now we listen to Luthor as our local expert. And we kill any who oppose us."

Like every city struck by the Kryptonians, the death toll was in the thousand inside of Gotham City. Tens of thousands were homeless. FEMA was mobilizing across the eastern seaboard. The United Nations were also dispatching relief groups. The Justice Leagues pushed to the point of exhaustion and then beyond that as well.

The JLU had lost five members. The death toll stood with the loss of Obsession, Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, Samurai, and presumably Captain Atom.

J'onn was unable to contact Stormwatch to have them collect Captain Atom's energy matrix. But the lingering silence could only mean they had been struck as well. John and Shayera tallied the losses and initiated ARGUS' retrieval and burial preparation services because the JLA had already sustained the loss of five members as well.

The JLA fallen included Animal Man, Darknight, Ri, Starling, and Bat-Girl. Guy, Troia, and Hawkman were demanding to receive permission to track the Kryptonians and deal them a further blow.

* * *

Trevor ordered everyone to stand down and get some rest, "There will probably be more names added to those lists before we're done. And whoever survives can mourn them. But shooting off half cocked against a superior foe will just guarantee your place on a list."

At the Hall of Justice, volunteers offered to take the fallen to their next of kin. So Superman and Barda delivered Obsession to the Deardens. Whereby, they learned that they had no idea that Dana had a costumed identity as Obsession. Barda kindly went along with his exaggerated descriptions of Obsession's loyalties and importance to the Justice League.

"That meant a lot," Superman told Barda as they left, "You could have corrected me at any time."

"The survivors often don't need to accept the truth," Barda replied.

"I need to learn how to fight a war," Superman stated.

"Yes, you do," Barda promised him.

"I'm asking you to teach me how," Superman shared.

"Very well, but I'll make your life hell," Barda vowed.

* * *

Fire used her former credentials with Brazilian Intelligence to track Nightshade down. Nightshade had known about the nuclear energy headed out to space. She'd already feared the worst.

"Thank you. You didn't have to deliver the news personally," Nightshade told them.

"Yes, we did," Ice assured her.

* * *

J'onn returned Apache Chief to the reservation. His kin exchanged stories of the man before he became a super hero and J'onn filled in the blanks Apache Chief had left in the story of his life afterwards. Everyone parted friends and prepared to honor the man's sacrifice.

Blue Beetle brought Samurai home. His family honored him according to the old traditions. They profusely thanks Blue Beetle and asked for one thing more, that Samurai be avenged.

Hourman and Jesse brought Black Vulcan to Jefferson Pierce, his mentor and predecessor as Black Lightning. Black Lightning's eldest daughter had also died as Thunder and his younger daughter served the All Stars as Lightning. Pierce called Lightning and told her that the man like a brother to her was dead. She made arrangements to be there with her father.

Crimson Fox brought Buddy Baker's body to his ex-wife and two children. The ex was angry that Buddy's current lover brought them the body. But mostly she was just enraged that he'd finally died the way she'd always warned him he would.

* * *

Batwoman and Spoiler brought Elizabeth Kane home to Katherine Webb-Kane. The Spyral Director was Elizabeth's aunt by marriage. Bette Kane, the former Flamebird and current Spyral agent, also stood by to receive the remains. Neither had served at the front lines but made ARGUS' video records of the battle available to Katherine and Bette. They were polite but it was obvious Katherine was preparing to ask the UN Secretary-General to allow Spyral to go to war.

Trevor, Artemis, Question, and Huntress took Ri, Darknight, and Starling to a private crematorium and cemetery where ARGUS agents with no family were laid to rest. The three had been given reservations in a mausoleum dedicated to those that died defending the safety of the world. It was ARGUS' highest honor.

The Justice Leagues barely had time to eat before Sue called them into a briefing, "Reports have come in from around the world. Majestic and the Chinese Trinity are dead. The Shadow Cabinet reported the loss of the Stormwatch moon base and Jack Hawksmoor, Apollo and Midnighter. The Teen Titans are down. Some are so badly injured they'll never fully recover."

"The Ranger Scout Division operates as infiltrators on less advanced worlds where they destroy the infrastructure from within. The idea is to call in heavy support to subjugate the planet afterwards," Kalea had been awakened for this meeting; "Essentially the rangers are dedicated assassins and saboteurs to cripple a planet's ablest defenders."

"But we bloodied them," Hawkman retorted.

"And now they'll stop at nothing to kill you all," Kalea replied, "They'll even go so far as to cooperate with Darkseid's local assets."

"The Legion of Doom," Superman said direly.

* * *

"I'll kill her," Obsidian was enraged over Dwayne's death by overdose.

"You'll need help," Jade offered.

"And information," Mayflower interjected, "I say we visit the local ARGUS offices and interrogate Triad."

"Anything that gets me close enough to Vivid to break her neck," Obsidian acquiesced.


	5. Chapter 5

17

"From now on, my people will accompany yours when you deploy," Luthor told Gar-Lo.

"That's unnecessary. All we require is your native knowledge of Earth's defenders," Gar-Lo sniffed indignantly.

"You've spent your entire time here underestimating your opponents," Luthor chided him; "You're a junior officer in your corps. That makes you expendable. If you continue to employ useless and outdated tactics you'll be ferried home by Kalea-El before this ends."

"I'll bury and burn her home world to cinders before we finish," Gar-Lo proclaimed.

"As much as I love that sentiment, I find it unlikely," Luthor drolly replied, "You've killed Majestic, Apollo, Jack Hawksmoor Midnighter, decimated the Rocket Red Brigade and the Chinese Trinity. You did manage to kill some lesser JLers. But you left the Teen Titans crippled but alive, and the Great Ten was never seen. You haven't crippled the JSA All Stars or the Conglomerate, and you have yet to kill the rest of the Justice Leagues. So forgive me if I'm wary of your ability to do so."

"And your proposal will change that?" Gar-Lo sneered.

"My forces will enable you to overwhelm the native defenders. Your man, Ret-Gel, is being fitted with a prosthesis roughly half as powerful as his natural arm," Luthor stated, "Keep that in mind as we assign teams."

"Very well," Gar-Lo indignantly agreed.

* * *

The JLU responded to the Legion's joint attack on Metropolis. It seemed that some of the pairings were inevitable as Gar-Lo separated Superman and dealt some punishment. But as battered and bloodied as Kal-El got he refused to back down.

Then, all at once, Superman rose through the sky at supersonic speeds. Holding his breath, he left Earth and headed for the Moon. Predictably, Gar-Lo pursued. And on the dark side of the Moon, both men fought beyond exhaustion. Leaving the face of the Moon permanently altered, they returned to Earth to catch a breath and reevaluate their choices.

* * *

Ret-Gel openly wore his prosthetic against Barda. But Barda tricked him by using Mother Box to open a boom tube and deliver Ret-Gel to the sun. And she felt no remorse whatsoever.

* * *

Volcana surrounded J'onn with a ring of fire so he lost the ability to escape by flight. Then she encased him in a ball of fire and finally incinerated him while she savored every scream. On the other coastline, M'gann M'orzz awoke from a nightmare. But her telepathy only confirmed the dream. J'onn Jonzz was dead and she was the only living Martian left on Earth.

* * *

Signalman selected the Atom as his target of choice. Using lights and sirens he kept Atom distracted as he led the JLer down into the Underground. Crowds packed the makeshift bomb shelters created by the train network beneath the streets of Metropolis.

Signalman used flash bang grenades to panic the crowds and shoved the Atom onto the rail line. But with the electricity down, the train cars were immobile. Signalman left a trail of flares to lead Atom off into the distance while Signalman hid himself in a bunker designed by and for Luthor. While Atom uselessly searched the tunnels, Signalman exited the fully powered bunker and headed for the street level again.

* * *

Dr. Phosphorous' radioactive skeleton radiated lethal doses of radiation when he so desired. And he desired to kill Fire. Fire learned that day that even her Green Flame powered plasma form was vulnerable to radiation attacks. Beatriz de Costa died a withering death within minutes of encountering Dr. Phosphorous.

Ice believed she was safe from Livewire because she was a Norwegian ice goddess. But Ice forgot that her ice constructs melted into water and that water was conductive. And as such, Livewire taught Ice her final lesson in life.

* * *

Sportsmaster was the third man since WWII to bear the name. His eclectic use of lethal athletic equipment kept Blue Beetle off guard. The badminton bombs totally disoriented Blue Beetle. And the razor edged Frisbee severed the artery in his neck, bleeding Blue Beetle out within seconds.

* * *

With Ra's al Ghul's apparent death and Talia's banishment from the League of Shadows, Black Canary had ejected Darkwing from the League of Assassins. But that did nothing to lessen the man's lethality. Hourman's Miraclo derived strength barely kept Darkwing at bay.

But Jesse's super speed strike disoriented Darkwing. So Hourman's right cross knocked the man out. Hourman secured Darkwing by wrapping a bus stop bench around him. Then he went to assist Jesse the way she'd helped him.

Reverse Flash had wondered where Jesse Quick had disappeared to. When he found her, he continued to plague her with super speed attacks. She raced off to find Hourman and Reverse Flash followed. In a maneuver Hourman had developed with the aid of the Flash and Jesse, he clotheslined Reverse Flash as Jesse passed him by. But Dr. Phosphorous' approach forced the couple to retreat.

* * *

Sparrow Hawk faced a standstill with Power Ring. No matter how aggressively the interdimensional Thanagarian fought, Jessica Cruz countered the attack perfectly. The Ring of Volthoom hungrily wanted to expose Sparrow Hawk's greatest fears and suck at her life force but Power Ring employed her will power to thwart the ring's intent.

So Power Ring fought her ring so strongly it interfered with her battle with Sparrow Hawk. Both women fought as hard as they could but their own distractions prevented either of them from claiming victory.

Seeing as how the Kryptonian escort was gone and multiple JLers were slain, Sparrow Hawk broke off her attack and keyed Signalman's transmitter. The Legion of Doom began a strategic withdrawal employing the International Security Agency's teleport system they received from the JLU. Power Ring couldn't follow an enemy that vanished in thin air.

* * *

Speedy was on site in Seattle when ranger scouts, Legionnaires, and Rogues appeared downtown. The Invisible Jet got the JLA on scene in minutes.

But when the JLA arrived, the ranger scouts were destroying buildings one story at a time so that the debris and rubble cascaded onto the streets below. Thousands were dying one level at a time and thousands more were caught beneath the concrete rain.

Power Girl intercepted Inara because her body language regarding the other Kryptonian placed her in charge of the murder spree. As the battle ensued, Inara dismissed Power Girl owing to her suit. But then she had to admit some grudging respect because Galatea quickly seized on ever weakness Inara presented to her.

In fact, it grew to the point Inara unhappily wished Power Girl was on her side rather than others she knew. So Inara broke and ran. Only Sue's admonishment not to leave Seattle prevented Power Girl from tracking her down.

* * *

Wonder Woman surprised Ursula with a blow augmented by the Gauntlet of Heracles. But Ursula quickly deduced that Artemis's strength was only that powerful on her right arm where she wore the gauntlet. Trevor missed his first shot and Ursula quickly realized the bullets were laced with the wretched kryptonite. So she launched herself into the sky where she was intercepted by Inara and they flew off over the Pacific.

"Damn," Trevor sullenly said as he realized what had happened.

"Perhaps our comrades back at base can track them," Artemis offered a slim hope.

"One can only hope," Trevor agreed.

* * *

Brainwave's illusion powers distracted the Question while the Scarecrow gassed the Huntress with his original fear toxin. But Huntress' response to fear was greater aggression. She easily killed Jonathan Crane and then chased Brainwave off.

Question held her tight and got her out of the main streets while she struggled with the toxin burning its way through her system. Question doubted anyone would ever miss Scarecrow. But Brainwave was a new threat with an old past.

A Brainwave had appeared in the Forties to fight the Justice Society. When they vanished so did he. This one appeared younger so it could be an offspring or a grandchild. Either way, the truth remained to be seen since Brainwave could depict any outer appearance he wanted to.

* * *

Vigilante and Vixen confronted Riddler and his henchwomen, Echo and Query. But all of them were extra muscular than at any other encounter. And they were utterly fearless regarding the falling concrete from the toppling buildings.

"Ah'll be danged, they look like they're on some kinda Venom," Vigilante opined.

"Close, Cowboy," Vixen was sniffing the air, "It's a blend of Venom and Scarecrow's fear toxin."

"Shouldn't that make `em afraid of us?" Vig asked.

"Apparently not," Vixen charged Echo as she did the same.

"Right," Vigilante quick drew and shot Riddler in the head with his nonlethal hyperkinetic round.

Then a large chunk of building squashed the Riddler. Vig was amazed, "Whoa!"

Query charged like a bull rhino at Vigilante. Than the former dominatrix was flattened by another chunk of the building. Vig decided it was time to get Vixen out of there.

He barely got her away from Echo before Echo was also crushed. They ran for the end of the block but rubble fell and crushed Vixen's legs. Vigilante attempted to clear the debris.

"Just go!" Vixen demanded between clenched teeth.

"Ah ain't leavin' without ya!" Vigilante pledged.

Power Girl landed next to him, "Allow me.""

She easily threw the rubble aside, "Your legs are crushed."

"Tell me something I don't already know," Vixen said through the pain.

"I can get you to Tacoma before the wounded overwhelm them," Power Girl lifted Vixen and flew off. Seconds later, she returned for Vigilante.

* * *

At the hospital, he undid his mask and gun belt, "Tell Trevor Ah ain't leavin' Mari. Ah have a feelin' that means Ah ain't stayin' in the JLA."

"I'll let him know," Power Girl launched off the ground and returned to Seattle with Greg Saunders' crime fighting gear.

* * *

Green Arrow and Speedy were fighting a running battle across downtown Seattle. Debris had gathered into piles of rubble. Piles that were used as defensive cover by both the JLers and Captain Cold and Heat Wave.

The veteran Rogues had faced three incarnations of the Flash as well as three organizations labeled the Justice League Unlimited. Captain Cold and Heat Wave pushed the two teenagers to the wharf and from there to their seeming demise on a pier.

Captain Cold and Heat Wave utilize GPS trackers to nail down where the other Rogues were and they set out to assist as needed. They didn't see Green Arrow and Speedy circumvent the ice walls to escape the flames at the pier's end. And they certainly didn't catch the archers following them.

Catwoman kept Catgirl from engaging Trickster or the Mirror Master despite the best efforts of the Rogues. Catwoman tried to soothe Catgirl's bruised expectations, "I rather doubt Waller isn't aware of our purloining valuables in Gotham. So I suggest we part ways with the Justice League and ARGUS and make our own way through the world from now on."

"Anything as long as we take down Gotham's Five Families," Catgirl agreed on principle.

* * *

Batwoman pulled Spoiler back from engaging Weather Wizard and Pied Piper, "We can't fight them."

"You won't even try," Spoiler accused.

"You're damn right!" Batwoman retorted, "Look, you wanted me to train you and gear you up. I'll do that if you intern with my security company. I'll give you everything you need to continue you war against your father. But there's one catch."

"Name it," Spoiler insisted.

"You have to quit the JLA," Batwoman demanded.

"Easily done," Spoiler agreed.

* * *

Trajectory knocked Golden Glider senseless inside of five seconds of meeting her. But the Top proved more problematic. He began his hypervelocity spin in a clockwise motion. So Trajectory ran counter-clockwise around him. Static discharges continued to build until Trajectory aimed them at the Top.

Pied Piper arrived and began to play. Weather Wizard moved in a localized storm front. Trajectory retreated to reconsider her options and ran into Captain Cold and Heat Wave. Trajectory circumvented them.

"Should we kill her?" Heat Wave asked.

"No, she'll distract the archers who still think we haven't spotted them yet," Captain Cold chuckled as the Rogues reunited.

"Roscoe?" Golden Glider was frantic, "Len, he's got no pulse!"

"Damn, the girl killed him," Captain Cold was incensed, "Let me try a cold snap to waken him"

Nothing happened. Golden Glider went mad with grief. Captain Cold contacted Brainiac and demanded an immediate extraction.

* * *

"So _compadres_ , you have come to die," Bane menacingly chuckled.

Azrael gauntlet blades extended and united, "We've only come to kill you, monster."

General Glory began his contribution by orating a patriotically themed dissertation. But Azrael and Bane got strictly down on the fighting aspect. Azrael scored the first wound by thrusting his blades into Bane's shoulders. Bane responded by throwing Azrael through a reinforced concrete wall.

General Glory stepped in but even his supernaturally enhanced strength packed before Bane's Venom boosted norms. Azrael slashed Bane's spine below the shoulders. Bane, with his legs buckling beneath him, reached out and impaled Azrael's head on a piece of rebar jutting from the rubble of the wall he'd thrown Azrael through.

Then horror, General Glory witnessed Bane, now paralyzed below the waist, drag himself towards the remaining JLer to finish the fight. But General Glory leapt high above Bane and twisted so he landed on his feet over Bane. Stripping the man of his Venom injector, General Glory realized no amount of scorpion venom would ever repair the damage Azrael had done. Bane was finished.

* * *

Vibe disrupted all of frequency attacks Blackrock mustered with his power stone. Finally, Blackrock converted himself into radio waves and rode the television broadcasts beyond Vibe's reach and prepared to be evacuated. Sue directed Vibe to General Glory's location.

* * *

Trevor arranged for ARGUS to take custody of the crippled Bane. CCTV coverage pointed to the Top's apparent death in response to Trajectory's tactic. She looked pained by more than that loss. But no one knew yet that Brainiac had revived the fallen Rogue.

* * *

Back at the Hall of Justice, Catwoman and Batwoman each announced their resignations. And their protégés would be leaving with them. Power Girl also seemed insecure.

Trevor met with her, "What's on your mind, Galatea?"

"I lost Inara and Ursula. What good is being a JLer if I can't protect anyone?" Power Girl inquired.

"All this after Blackhawk's death," Trevor rooted out the real issue, "Galatea, we're behind. There's no denying it. But it's the bottom of the ninth inning and we either stand or fall from this point onward."

A ghost of a smile lit up Power Girl's face, "Blackhawk liked baseball too."

"A wise man," Trevor slightly smiled as well, "Now, are you in this fight or not?"

"I'm in it," Power Girl promised, "And I'm in for the win."

"Thank God," Trevor sighed in relief.

* * *

With the JLA lured away from NYC, the Legion dispatched forces specifically targeting the Conglomerate. Claire Montgomery evacuated 1WTC and reestablished her personnel at the Hall of Justice working under ARGUS' supervision.

Supergirl found herself facing Rayni. Despite Matrix's wearing the sigil of the House of El, Rayni quickly deduced that Supergirl wasn't Kryptonian or human. Rather, she was a protoplasmic life form.

Supergirl knocked Rayni into Sax Fifth Avenue and shape shifted. When Rayni emerged, she was taken by surprise as a bystander attacked her. That's when Rayni realized Matrix was a shape shifter.

"You'd best stay in one form or another or I'll simply kill every human in sight," Rayni advised.

Rayni wrestled with Supergirl and got behind her. Snapping Matrix's neck, Rayni happily moved on. But Supergirl, her head canted to one side, simply restored herself to full health since she actually had no spine to break. So she went after Rayni to see what further mischief the ranger scout could get into.

* * *

Strange Visitor blasted away at Kira with electromagnetic energy. The sheer power flowing through her weakened Sharon Vance and disrupted Kira's ability to fight back. Kira desperately dropped a cell tower and thrust it through Strange Visitor and it shorted her powers out and they deserted her.

As Sharon Vance emerged once more, she remembered her young daughter back home with her grandparents. She hoped her daughter would be able to understand her mother's permanent absence someday. And Sharon died afterwards.

* * *

Psycho Pirate's Medusa Mask afflicted Praxis. But the demonic soul inhabiting Praxis to augment his mental powers to their full capacity recoiled. And the backlash knocked Praxis _and_ Psycho Pirate out.

Psi's telekinetic power threw Metamorpho off of Manhattan and out past Ellis Island. Then she began collecting her fallen comrades and those that were victorious. She came upon Count Vertigo and Black Spider as they dealt with Maxi-Man and Starman.

Count Vertigo crippled them both. But after Black Spider put a bullet through Maxi-Man's head, Starman began building energy. But Black Spider's second shot ended that before Starman could unleash a solar flare. Black Spider rappelled down to meet his teammates.

"All well that ends well," Black Spider proclaimed.

Psi wasn't certain of his motives. He'd once been a vigilante killer himself targeting drug dealers. But Batman had ended that career and Black Spider went freelance targeting drug dealers for rival drug dealers. Like her, he'd briefly served Task Force X until it shut down and only specified personnel transferred into Checkmate. Psi, Black Spider and others had been returned to prison where the Legion of Doom liberated them.

* * *

Dr. Light and Rising Sun were overwhelmed by the viciousness of Multiplex's attack. Unknowable amounts of duplicates attacked them until they were trampled to death. Multiplex reunited all of the duplicates into himself and joined Psi's mission.

Gypsy had to use her chameleon power to escape Bronze Tiger and Slipknot allowed Bronze Tiger to evade the angry Vapor. Vapor and Gypsy slowly retreated as more Legionnaires came into sight. They came upon Electrocutioner shorting out Red Tornado to the point the elemental dwelling within the chassis escaped and vanished from sight.

Electrocutioner escaped as Metamorpho returned. The Legion withdrew taking Rayni and Kira with them. The NYPD gingerly gathered up the fallen Conglomerates. The survivors were told to regroup at the hall of Justice.

* * *

Claire contacted Ulla and the Little Mermaid persuaded Nightwing to get into the fight. Echo and Reverb announced their retirement. Police Lt. Dan Jurgens promised Claire that NYC would honor the fallen. Claire told him to wait until the crisis had passed before the body count was tabulated.

* * *

The ambulatory Teen Titans had set up a perimeter around the hospital tending to their fallen comrades. And the Legion met them head on without Kryptonian support. Wonder Girl assisted Superboy's fight against Armadillo. They'd thought Killer Croc was strange enough but a seven foot, impossibly strong armadillo took it all.

Red Robin and Ravager fought Hummingbird. None of Ravager's weapons were ranging ones. But as the Squire, Beryl Hutchinson had utilized a slingshot with variable loads. So now, as Red Robin, she fired off explosive pellets and gaseous pellets and drove Hummingbird back.

Fairchild and Red Hood fought against Blackguard. His energy shield and mace protected him from most of Red Hood's traditionally ballistic weapons. Fairchild's Majestic level strength was another matter.

Miss Martian faced off against Maser. Maser had once been the hero called Air Wave and he was Hal Jordan's nephew. But the nature of his powers to transform into radio signals and deliver electrostatic shocks had warped his mind.

M'gann tried to restore Maser's mind but her efforts just enraged him more. So he pitted everything he was at M'gann and she fought back with every ounce of strength at her disposal. None of the Teen Titans realized that the outer attacks were mere distractions for the assassinations inside the hospital.

The Weed used pollens to create massive histamine reactions within the hospital occupants. Hundreds died within minutes of anaphylaxis. Solstice, Beast Boy, Bunker, and Skitter were among them. Raven survived and Kid Flash processed the attack but both would opt to retire after enduring such losses.

The Legion withdrew from the outer attacks and left the remnant to discover the damage inflicted within the hospital walls. Kid Flash announced his intention to return to the 31st Century. Raven voiced her desire to slip into another dimension.

Red Hood declared his purpose to form a new, first strike team. Red Robin and Ravager decided to go with him. Red Robin agreed to adopt a new identity. Superboy joined with Wonder Girl and Miss Martian in reaching out to the All Stars for further training. Fairchild contacted Waller and wanted back under ARGUS' aegis.

* * *

The Legion's direct attack on the K-Star Ranch surprised Roxy and the human population as well. Unfortunately for the Legion, the entire All Star membership was present. Ironically, the All Stars had just finished planning for a contingency regarding a direct assault on their headquarters.

Sentinel was joined by Flash and Wildcat against Jeg-Set. Sentinel had his massive willpower and limitless imagination to control his power ring. Flash had the Speed Force as his ally. Wildcat had a century's worth of training and experience and the body of a young man again to channel that wealthy of knowledge.

But despite these resources, the trio couldn't overwhelm the ranger scout. And the Kryptonian was equally stymied. So it wore down to a test of endurance.

* * *

Black Mary's rage made up for Ran-Dul's marginal advantage in strength. Ran-Dul did his best to subdue Black Mary but he couldn't manage it. And he was forced to give ground.

Major Force couldn't land a blow or an energy beam on Judomaster. But Commander Steel was another matter. Major Force had just been gloating to himself over his inherent superiority now that Captain Atom was dead when Commander Steel began bashing his containment suit in.

Major Force responded with a nuclear blast that sheared Commander Steel's synthetic and natural flesh from his now molten alloy skeleton. Judomaster witnessed the horror of Hank Heywood III's demise and it emboldened her to take drastic measures.

Managing to leap upon Major Force's shoulders, she slit the throat open with a knife and then ripped the head back. Like Captain Atom before him, Major Force's energy essence cascaded out of the suit and upward to the stars where they would disappear amongst the galaxy's background noise of radiation.

And then Sonia Sato grieved over Commander Steel's cooling skeleton.

* * *

Anna Fortune faced down Tala, mystic art against mystic art. Sadly for Tala, Anna's mastery over Order magic had grown since their last encounter. Anna simply cast Tala to an outer darkness beyond the multiverse.

Atom Smasher struggled against Giganta. But then he punched her in the nose and she wilted.

"Yoob gabe me a bwuddy nobe," Giganta complained.

She kicked him in the balls and shrank to her natural stature. Then she fled as Anna came to Atom Smasher's aid. As far as Giganta was concerned, the mission was over.

Clayface's arm became a scythe and he slashed through the row of King Chimera's before him. And the illusions vanished as Clayface cut down the reality. Cyclone screamed her outrage and Clayface was torn into globules by her tornado. Then Cyclone cradled King Chimera's body and cried out her grief.

Dr. Polaris redirected Lightning's stream of electrical energy at Aztek. Afterwards he disassembled Aztek's armor and reassembled it as his puppet. The Aztek armor choked the life out of Curt Falconer. Then as its chosen vessel died at its hands, the armor returned to the Mexican temple where it had been found.

Dr. Polaris left Lightning to her grief over Aztek and Black Vulcan's losses. She promised herself at that moment she was abandoning her costumed persona. Just as soon as the Legion left the ranch.

Atomic Skull enjoyed toying with Hawk and Dove. But the Chaos Avatars had taught him how to blindside Dove. And seeing as how she didn't have Hawk's enhanced healing factor, she was a pretty target for his radioactive blasts. He intentionally opened a weak point in his defense and lured her in.

Atomic Skull sprang his trap be administering a lethal dose of radiation to Dove. To give her and her Order patron credit, Dove survived long enough to die in Hawk's arms. Growling and stamping like a bull, Hawk charged Atomic Skull receiving thousands of rads as he did so. He was so weakened by the time he reached Atomic Skull, he was helpless.

Atomic Skull followed Condor's instructions and crushed Hawk's head. Without it Hank Hall couldn't survive even as Hawk. He reverted back to Hank as his headless body fell to the ground. Dove became Dawn Granger again.

"You'll regret this. I promise," Dawn warned him.

"Nice threat from someone that'll be dead in twenty second," Atomic Skull gloated.

"You idiot," Dawn rasped, "I was trying to warn you."

And Dawn breathed her last. Atomic Skull was unnerved by her certainty in her prophecy. He'd ask Condor or Kestrel about Order mojo later.

* * *

Stargirl wished for her Cosmic Rod to register in the yellow wavelengths as she battled Spencer Hawk. But that didn't slow him down as he revealed his red power ring and Red Lantern uniform. She cycled through every color in the emotional spectrum until her violet comic energy repelled Spencer Hawk.

She had no way of knowing without consulting a Lantern Corps member why violet energy waves could drive back a Red Lantern. When the eventual conversation with one Lantern Corpsman occurred, it surprised and startled her to learn the spectrum of Love could kill a ring bearer of Rage.

The Legion withdrew having accomplished their mission parameters. Lightning informed the team she was leaving post haste. Cyclone asked her for a ride back to Harvard. And she wasn't to be called because she also quit the team.

Judomaster stayed on. Mr. Terrific arrived with Dr. Mid-Nite and Jakeem Thunder in tow. Jakeem was ordered to return to Harlem and watch over the residents there. Lady Blackhawk informed the team the All Star Racer was prepped and ready. So they flew to Metropolis' LexCorp Field and transited to the Hall of Justice.

* * *

The Legion's Kryptonian support's attack on Beijing brought out the Great Ten. August General in Iron defended the populace against Fal-Jegg. His energy trident proved useless but his enormous strength fended off the ranger scout. Until Fal-Jegg rallied and smashed August General into the ground below and caved his chest in by beating in flat. August General didn't move afterwards.

Ghost Fox Killer could kill men with touch. But she faced Shara instead. But her martial techniques worked until she saw August General fall shifting between dimensions, she reached August General to discover he was still alive. Ghost Fox Killer transported the man she loved to her other dimensional home to heal.

Accomplished Perfect Physician faced Fright. He could heal any wound and restore life to those barely clinging on but he couldn't defend against disorders of the mind. And Fright's improved fear toxin acted like a mental illness. He literally died by being scared to death by Fright.

Celestial Archer couldn't miss with his magic bow. But Javelin was quick enough to deflect every arrow with his trademark weapon. Then he threw three javelins in quick succession and each pierced Celestial Archer's chest. He fell over backwards and reminded Javelin of a pin cushion.

Immortal Man-in-Darkness strafed Mr. Element. But the Legionnaire erected walls off nearly impregnable armor. Mr. Element's mind created Dr. Alchemy and he possessed the legendary Philosopher's Stone Mr. Element used science, not sorcery, to convert elements.

So he transformed all of Immortal Man-in-Darkness' Durlan fighter craft into helium. The human host died instantly. Mr. Element knew Phase Two of the operation was to raze Beijing. So he got busy doing so.

Mother of Champions hadn't had three days to become impregnated and give birth to twenty six champions. So when Duchess killed her, her unborn offspring burst out of her. And Duchess enjoyed killing the helpless spawn. Then she wreaked terror over the Chinese living in Beijing and finally felt like a Female Fury again.

Seven Deadly Brothers split from one man to seven. Outlaw had incredible strength and durability. Enough so he could withstand missile strikes and cannon fire. So as expert in Kung Fu as Seven Deadly Brothers were, they were outmatched by Outlaw's brute strength and savagery.

Shaolin Robot faced down El Diablo. His pyrokinetic powers were constantly growing so El Diablo knew he could reduce the robot to slag. So he did. But he didn't take part in the destruction of Beijing.

Socialist Red Guardsman studied Shrapnel, "What sort of monstrosity are you?"

"The kind that will kill you," Shrapnel retorted.

Shrapnel exploded outwardly and shredded Socialist Red Guardsmen armor which shield other and focused the Guardsman's radioactive body's power. With the armor damaged, the system failed and he tried desperately to exit Beijing before he erupted in a nuclear explosion. He failed.

Lady Lunar used her gravitic powers to squish Thundermind like a bug. Then she gathered the stray Legionnaires and they evacuated. In their wake, Socialist Red Guardsman screamed his frustration as his body overloaded and he detonated. His death caused the deaths of millions and the destruction of Beijing.

The world watched in horrified silence as heroes fell, cities were destroyed and nuclear holocaust came to China. People prayed and others dismayed of salvation and some took their own lives but in the end it all boiled down to the fact they were helpless and needed the Justice League to overcome the impossible once again.


	6. Chapter 6

16

Guy Gardner had been incensed to be left out of combat in Seattle. Instead he found himself pulled into an unused room within the Hall of Justice. Guy wore a lascivious grin.

"Hey babe, ya wanna get it on with a real man?" he offered.

"I have. I also killed him," Kalea warned Guy.

"Maybe yer not my type after all," Guy grimaced.

"No, but you're just the type I need for a specific mission," Kalea told him.

"Yeah? What type is that?" Guy wondered.

"The type that will take a mission to prove his fertility because he's too brain dead to decline it," Kalea told him.

"Hey! I used ta be a lawyer so I understand everythin' that yer sayin'," Guy growled.

"And here I was afraid I'd have to use monosyllables," Kalea retorted.

"What's yer deal cupcake?" Guy asked, "What's twistin' yer tail so ya come beggin' fer the Guyster?"

"Your ring can find people that can inflict terror," Kalea decided to tell him, " _Real_ terror not just mass hysteria."

"That how you get yer thrill, babe?" Guy wondered.

Kalea grabbed hold of his testicles with her bionic hand, "I want you to find Saturn Queen and have her bring Ultraman here. Can you even comprehend that?"

Guy whimpered between tears. Kalea increased the pressure, "I'll take that as a 'yes'. If you come back without Eve Aries I'll crush your rather pathetic genitals. Understood?"

Guy managed a nod. Kalea released him and Guy tried to use his ring against her but nothing happened.

"The ring knows I can inflict even greater terror than you can," Kalea explained to him, "So I'm immune from it."

"Why ya sendin' me?" Guy tried not to use a falsetto.

"You're a blunt instrument to be sure but a blunt instrument's memories can be rewritten easily enough," Kalea explained, "Now go."

Guy gave her the finger, "Ya won't always get yer way."

"I usually don't," Kalea admitted, "And people die."

Guy didn't know what else to say so he left. Kalea went back to the ops center before her extended absence was seriously noted. Both Waller and Sue gave her suspicious looks. But Kalea ignored them and went back to analyzing incoming intelligence reports and estimates. And took note that ARGUS had taken over the task of transporting bodies back to bereaved families. And of even greater note was the fact Superboy, Wonder Girl, and Miss Martian had approached the original JSA Founders, undoubtedly regarding training them. And Red Hood, Ravager, and Red Robin were the only other survivors who hadn't retired and were missing in action.

* * *

"Eliza, I wish I had better news," Dr. Mid-Nite warned Trajectory, "The agent Project Everyman developed to counteract your hypermetabolism is becoming less and less effective over time. Drastically so in this case."

"So what are you saying?" Trajectory fretted.

"Your speed is killing you. Using your speed power kills you even faster. You may not even survive an extended burst of speed even one more time," Dr. Mid-Nite cautioned her.

"I can't stop now," Trajectory objected, "The world needs me more than ever."

"These are undeniable risks," Dr. Mid-Nite struggled to stress.

"I knew the risks when I entered the Project Everyman program," Trajectory assured him, "Surely there's something you can do to hold off things for a while?"

"The serum injections you take are based on Velocity 9," Dr. Mid-Nite reminded her, "ARGUS has confiscated large quantities of the drug. However they are of mixed qualities and all are highly addictive. But they have the ability in speedsters to stabilize their metabolisms and greatly boost their speed output."

"I'm not going to be an addict. Too many of my friends back home went that route," Trajectory replied.

"So I'll advise Waller to take you off active duty?" Dr. Mid-Nite asked.

"You can tell her about my condition but tell her I'm staying in this fight no matter what," Trajectory instructed.

"Eliza…" Dr. Mid-Nite feebly protested.

"It's my choice, Doc," Trajectory insisted.

"I'll inform Waller then," Dr. Mid-Nite conceded.

"And no one else, especially not General Glory," Trajectory clarified.

"Doctor-patient confidentiality. Trust me, I live by those words in this business," Dr. Mid-Nite promised her.

* * *

The roll calls of fallen heroes went online and were broadcast multiple times a day. People rose out of their fear and stupor and voiced their support for their remaining champions. Asia and Russia rose as one to support China in their hour of crisis. If the ranger scouts' goal had been to fragment and disillusion humanity, which it was, they failed miserably.

In Los Angeles, Jade, Mayflower, and Obsidian stopped to honor the dead. But Obsidian's thirst for revenge wouldn't be abated. Only delayed.

* * *

The JLU Founders went into emergency sessions with the surviving leadership of the other teams. What emerged was a fusion of all the teams into one Justice League Unlimited. With objectors who would leave the team as soon as earth was safe again. And the JSA Founders recreated the Justice Society as a training division for the JLU. Sentinel, Flash, Wildcat, Mr. Terrific, Sand, and Dr. Mid-Nite would train Superboy, Wonder Girl, Miss Martian, and Jakeem Thunder and prep for eventual Justice League membership.

The Justice League of America and the Conglomerate dissolved and merged with the JLU. ARGUS lent its support to the UN sponsored JLU while Claire pressured corporate sponsors to switch their funding to the UN's JLU program.

In the new outlook, Sue handed over the reins to Hula Hula and she and Elongated Man stepped aside to shelter their daughter. Claire became the PR and UN representative for the JLU. Trevor stepped up as ARGUS' liaison with the Justice League. And Waller faded into obscurity as she assumed control of ARGUS and its multi-tiered meta-human programs.

But many within the Justice League ranks focused their anger and sorrow at Kalea. Atom led that group, "Why didn't you tell me they were allied with the Legion of Doom?"

"Point in fact, I warned that was their likeliest play," Kalea snorted.

Power Girl edged closer to the Atom. Kalea warned her off, "It's all right, Tea. I'm used to it by now. And you insects don't even realize the potentiality within yourselves that makes you so important on the multiversal scale. Without your gen factor you'd just be ignorant savages exterminated by any culture that bothered to do the job. Why do you think that New Genesis pledged Earth under their protection?"

"Barda?" Vibe asked.

"She's telling the truth," Barda conceded.

"Where's Guy?" Speedy suddenly asked, "Now's when he's usually saying something obnoxiously sexist."

"I sent Guy on an errand," Kalea told them.

"You have no authority sending Guy anywhere," Trevor snarled.

"I didn't see you up to the task," Kalea baited him; "You're desperately short on potential allies. So I'm using him to broaden your horizons. And I think we need to start discussing cannon fodder."

"We don't intentionally send people to die," Superman grimaced.

"They're dying anyway," Kalea retorted, "At least give them something to die for. Afterwards you can place your strategic assets to eliminate the brazen threats."

"We don't eliminate our enemies," Superman chided her.

"All of these rules forbidding you to act are why you'll lose," Kalea warned him.

Power Girl folded her arms beneath her ample bosom, "Kalea's right in a sense. But if we can't kill them, we need to find a way to cripple them."

"We still have four Kryptonian killer rounds and two kryptonite gas grenades that Azrael devised before he died," Trevor told the group.

"We need Batman and Diana," Superman opined.

"They aren't coming," John insisted.

"Batman won't leave Gotham for any threat to anywhere but Gotham," Shayera reminded the strategy group, "And Diana won't leave the magical protection Themiscyra affords her."

Artemis nodded her agreement with the assessment. Superman felt a need to defend his ex-wife. But memories of Lois Lane and Maxima clouded that impulse. Lois was his one true love and would never be united from that pedestal. Maxima had offered her body and her throne half a galaxy away. Diana had left him claiming she'd married for an idealized version of him that he could never be.

"We'll make do with what we have employing nonlethal force," Superman declared.

"These aren't your usual foes," Kalea interjected, "They won't stand still and fall over while you punch away until they submit."

"Then what do you suggest?" Trevor asked.

"Guy's errand is to recruit two beings that might equalize the odds," Kalea shared.

"Who?" Trevor wanted to know.

"I prefer not to say until they arrive," Kalea replied, " _If_ they arrive. But we have other important issues to discuss."

"Like what?" Trevor asked.

"Task Force X and the Freedom Fighters," Kalea stated.

"Who talked?" Trevor wanted to know.

"No one," Kalea told him, "Almerac placed a listening post inside your solar system after Maxima met father."

"Does it creep you out in the slightest that she always refers to Maxima by name but not her pops?" Huntress whispered to Question.

"Not at all," Question said.

She punched his arm, "You are such a freak sometimes."

"I suggest you brief the strategy team on a viable option for an alliance," Kalea urged Trevor.

"Their official designation is Task Force X. But they're simply called the Suicide Squad," Trevor revealed, "They're an ARGUS black on black covert operations team even more secret than the Black Razors. The team is composed entirely of super villains."

And the decibel level in the room shot through the roof.

* * *

Plastic Man emerged from the locker he'd been put into. The ranger scouts' ship was deserted so he easily slipped out into a swampland environ. He activated his homing beacon but Brainiac shot it down in seconds. All it seemed to have time to do was alert the Legion of Doom in the adjacent Hall of Doom that Plas stood next door.

Plastic Man ducked further into the swamp while Luthor deployed forces to capture him.

* * *

Guy's ring homed in on Saturn Queen but he was puzzled as to why it led him to a military base. Fort Siegel had been home to General Sam Lane and the Ultramarine Corps. But they'd vacated the base and the Department of Defense had shut the whole affair down.

Stranger yet, no one seemed to notice Guy. They were totally oblivious to his presence. And Ultraman's.

Ultraman approached Guy, "Follow me. Mother is expecting you."

Guy had bad feeling Ultraman was getting his Norman Bates on. Kal-L lifted a hydraulically powered trapdoor and motioned for Guy to enter. Inside he was led past a command center beyond anything the DOD boasted at the Pentagon. And seemed to be operated by third rate super villains.

Guy had to hand it to Eve Aries. Her super hypnosis had the whole base bewitched. The stockade was Lane's addition because who would logically look for the entrance to an underground lair in a jail.

Ultraman led Guy to Lane's former office. Whereas the general had austere tastes, Saturn Queen's were much more opulent. Guy began to realize many of the crimes recently attributed to the Legion of Doom really belonged with Saturn Queen's followers.

"Very astute, Mr. Gardner. That's not your reputation," Saturn Queen motioned him into her office, "Have a seat."

"I prefer ta stand, toots," Guy retorted, "And I earned my rep."

"Of course," Saturn Queen allowed, "You do realize the only ones suffering as a result of your bravado are your own feet?"

"I ain't here ta be civil," Guy told her defiantly.

"And civility goes so far towards easing foes into alliances," Saturn Queen chastised him.

"Stay outta my head," Guy growled.

"I don't need to be in your head," Saturn Queen chuckled, "Belligerence transforms an otherwise docile mind into a veritable transmitter. In other words your own aggression makes it so I can't ignore your thoughts. You're shouting at me in a mundane parlance."

"`Scuse me all ta hell," Guy snorted.

"I think you need a lesson in humility," Saturn Queen decided, "My boots need polishing. Lick them clean."

"Hurk!" Guy lurched forward and kowtowed before and began giving her boots a spit polish.

"Ooh, nasty thoughts," Saturn Queen tsked him, "Here's proof that you can't fight me. Drop your pants. Kal-L, I know you've been lonely since Private Bennett was transferred to Iraq. Satisfy yourself with Mr. Gardner here."

Guy's hate only grew as Ultraman took him from behind. The Kryptonian's body rhythmically thrust in and out in a piston action that threatened to shatter Guy's bones. And Ultraman used brute force to compensate for the lack of lube. A puddle of blood began pooling around Guy's feet and pants.

Ultraman climaxed and Guy was still held in thrall, "I'll take Kalea-El up on her offer. Tidy up, Gardner. We have an appointment at the Hall of Justice."

And Guy forgot everything that had happened since he left the Hall of Justice and until he returned.

* * *

Plastic Man had no idea of where he was on planet Earth. All he knew that it was tropical. Of course, that could mean either the Pacific Ocean to the Indian. So he headed east n to knowing that westward would have landed him in the touristy two villages of La Digue. And Condor was leading Kestrel, Osprey, and Swan after him on a search and destroy mission in the fecund undergrowth.

Plas emerged from the swamp to find himself confronted with a sea wall. Condor and the Avatars broke free as well. Condor anticipated the kill.

"Make it simple and just give in," Condor said maliciously.

"Nope," Plas became a living helicopter and flew off the cliff.

Swan's song shook Plas up but it also destroyed his homing beacon. So Plastic Man headed out to sea with no idea of where he was. But he recognized the signs of preparation around and in the Hall of Doom.

Grodd dispatched Bizarro to find Plastic Man. But Bizarro got confused and went westward rather than to the east. Calendar Man monitored flash traffic in and out of the Hall of Justice. Ultra-Humanite observed 1WTC and the K-Star Ranch. Dr. Sivana recalibrated the stealth shield while Mr. Mind did the same to the jamming device.

"Luthor, the JLU cave headquarters is sealed but it's still producing thermal energy," Half-Ape reported, "The K-Star Ranch is also secured and protected solely by the STRIPE mecha."

"It seems ARGUS has united with the United Nations at long last," Luthor mused, "Triple surveillance on the Hall of Justice. What is the Conglomerate's status?"

"Their floor in the 1WTC is shut down to the server level," Half-Ape told him.

"Because they've extracted all of the hard drives and other portable memory devices," Luthor chuckled, "And Teen Titans Compound is still derelict?"

"Yes," Half-Ape confirmed.

"We have Superboy, Wonder Girl, and Miss Martian travelling east. Caitlin Fairchild has reported in to ARGUS. And the three most dangerous Titans are missing in action," Luthor summarized.

"Affirmative," Half-Ape confirmed it.

"Dispatch the Council of Spiders," Luthor directed, "I want Red Hood, Ravager, and Red Robin killed."

"And Deathstroke?" Half-Ape worried.

"Tell the Spiders to be discreet," Luthor insisted.

"Lex, the JLU is mobilizing," Ultra-Humanite reported.

"Now we find out just how effective our stealth camouflage really is," Luthor replied, "Have all personnel standby anyway."

* * *

"Lock that location down," Hula Hula instructed his staff, "We got a microburst transmission from Plas' beacon from La Digue."

"We only got a six second transmission in the clear," a tech clarified, "Just enough to identify that the signal was from Plastic Man."

"I'll search those coordinates," Superman volunteered.

"So will I," Power Girl offered.

"I'll go as well," John offered. Shayera gave him a nod of approval.

"Count us in," Troia volunteered herself and Hawkman.

"I'll contact Waller and get clearance to deploy Colonel Flagg and Task Force X," Trevor announced, "I'll take Question, Huntress, Vibe, and General Glory and Trajectory with me in case the prisoners get riley."

After everyone departed, Guy returned, his memory wiped, with Saturn Queen and Ultraman. Hula Hula intercepted them, "Why are you here?"

"If you must know, I was invited," Saturn Queen told him.

Sir Justin saw her in the foyer and drew his sword, "Whore of Satan. Suckle Beelzebub's tit and die from it."

"You really are the last of your kind," Saturn Queen laughed, "And I seem to recall you suckling my tits not the other way around."

"Ahhhh!" Shining Knight charged Saturn Queen. Goldilocks snared him.

"Good, keep him away from me or lose him forever," Saturn Queen warned her.

"Who invited you?" Shayera asked.

"I did," Kalea said from across the room. Then she drew Saturn Queen aside and began speaking to her in a foreign language.

"What's that? It sounds like gibberish," Penny remarked.

"It's called Interlac. It's an interstellar trading language similar to how Greek and Aramaic served the Greco-Roman world and beyond as common trading languages in and around the Hellenistic and Roman worlds. Thanagar always indoctrinated its slave worlds into learning our language so we have no comparison," Shayera explained, "But most of the Milky Way and surrounding galaxies employ Interlac as the common tongue."

"Got any idea what they're talkin' `bout?" Penny asked.

"No, but Almerac's part in something seems to be the crux of it," Shayera told her.

"Part in what?" Penny inquired.

"Something to do with us is all I can make out," Shayera shared, "I'm sorry. I only picked up a little Interlac in the field. I'm nowhere near fluent."

Kalea nodded her consent to Saturn Queen and then rejoined Hula Hula, Penny, and Shayera, who represented the highest echelons of the JLU present, "Saturn Queen has agreed to fight on our side."

"There was a concession, what was it?" Shayera asked.

"How can they help?" Hula Hula wondered.

"Neither Almeracian forces nor I as an independent asset will interfere in her plans for Earth," Kalea answered one question one before the other, "And Ultraman is a full blooded Kryptonian so he brings slightly more balance between forces. And Saturn Queen is one of the most powerful telepaths in this time or any other. That should be enough to bring our forces into parity with the Legion of Doom and the ranger scouts."

"What plans?" Shayera asked.

"She means to topple the Legion of Doom's place in the criminal hierarchy on Earth and Apokolips," Kalea stated baldly, "We originally wanted your pledge to stay clear of her activities but I got her to relent on that ever happening."

"What that little…!" Penny fumed, "Of course we wouldn't agree. Ah have half a mind to slap her for even thinkin' it."

"It's a fair bargain," Shayera stated.

"I agree," Hula Hula said.

"Are ya'll nuts?" Penny demanded to know.

"You're outvoted," Kalea deflected Penny's inevitable tirade.

"Why her?" Shayera had to ask.

"J'onn Jonzz and M'gann M'orzz are either dead or preoccupied and no other telepath comes close to matching Saturn Queen for power or mercenary willingness to assist us," Kalea told the trio.

"We shoulda kept Metamorpho from leavin'," Penny opined, "We coulda used his ability to become kryptonite."

"Metamorpho felt obligated to protect Sapphire and her father, Simon Stagg," Shayera explained.

"Never come between a person and their familial obligations," Kalea advised.

"Family means a lot to you, doesn't it?" Hula Hula asked.

"You can't hate someone you don't truly love and when they're gone, you'll never have a chance to reconcile," Kalea shared, "So it's best to do all you can while everyone is still alive."

Kalea let them digest that, "I'll inform Saturn Queen of your decision to accept her terms."

"Why doesn't she just read your mind?" Penny snorted.

"She's not reading your mind out of politeness. She can't read mine," Kalea faced Shayera, "Or yours. Food for future thought."

* * *

Kalea reached Saturn Queen who stated, "I read their expressions. They've accepted your bargain but they don't like it."

"They don't realize the full ramifications or they'd never have accepted at all," Kalea warned Saturn Queen, "For now I have a use for your singular talents."

Saturn Queen was intrigued.

* * *

Superman met everyone at the rendezvous. He and Power Girl had searched out a thousand mile perimeter to no avail. Troia, Hawkman, and Green Lantern searched out any clue of Plastic Man's presence in La Digue. Everyone came up blank.

But Hawkman reported a strange shimmer in the swamps. Superman and Power Girl applied their heightened senses to the problem but couldn't in anything amiss. Superman dismissed the matter out of hand.

"Describe it again, Carter," Power Girl offered to search again.

"Never mind," Hawkman dismissed the offer, "I must have just been hoping."

"My ring didn't detect anything either," John shared.

"Let's just head home," Hawkman suggested.

And beneath them, Brainiac discussed the flutter of the Kryptonians' camouflage field.

* * *

Trevor and his team rode with Waller as she flew to Belle Reeve Prison on a covert airline run by the United States government to shuttle top officials place to place without any record of their travel. When the plane stopped and passengers were allowed to disembark, they found themselves greeted by Gwen Cormaugh and Rick Flagg.

Gwen served as the administrator in charge of the Task Force X project. Flagg was the field commander when the Suicide Squad deployed. More chocking to Trevor was Katana's presence beside Flagg. She'd left the JLA without a word and was now protecting Flagg.

"I don't understand Katana's presence here," Trevor interrupted Gwen's readiness report to Waller.

"Task Force X has a pool of volunteers as well as former inmates that have had the sentences commuted but carry with the unit as a form of penance I suppose," Waller explained, "So let's get this circus underway."

"That still doesn't explain Katana," Trevor grated.

"There isn't an explanation," Waller replied, "Unless you believe her explanation that her sword wants her to act as Flagg's personal bodyguard."

Trevor had seen the SoulTaker's power when Katana was still with the JLA. He didn't question Katana's reasoning.

Sarge Steel and Karin Grace mustered Task Force X out in the prison's exercise yard. Most importantly, Nightshade, Warrant, the Unknown Soldier stood near Katana as the unit's never convicted agents. Opposite them, Black Orchid, Phantasm, Firehawk, Silver Swan, Savant, and the Puzzler stood as convicts who'd earned Presidential commutations of their sentences and stayed on with the Suicide Squad.

The remainder of the squad stood against the fence line, convicts one and all. Waller addressed the assembled squad, "You're all going out to someplace where you'll do bad in the name of good and probably get killed doing it."

Trevor and Question took over by briefing the prisoners what had been going on in the world around them. Huntress, Vibe, General Glory, and Trajectory wondered just why Waller had forced Trevor to bring them along. Trajectory knew General Glory could see her difficulty in even standing and she hated to burden him with that knowledge. But she couldn't, and wouldn't, tell him what was happening.

* * *

Superman's voice lifted over the general clamor inside the Hall of Justice's Ops Center. The focus of his ire was Saturn Queen and Ultraman. Even more irritating than Kalea being the architect of their being in the Hall of Justice, Barda and Shayera were arguing Kalea's case.

"We need this to happen," Shayera insisted in his face, "Why have advisors if you won't listen them?"

"I'm afraid I'm with the ladies on this one," John warned Superman.

"May I finally speak for myself?" Saturn Queen inquired sharply.

"What?" Superman snapped at the mentalist.

"My ulterior motive us to supplant Luthor as the pinnacle of criminality on this planet and time," Saturn Queen admitted, "Aiding you only furthers my goal. I won't betray you."

"No killing," Superman told her.

"I've never personally killed anyone," Saturn Queen pledged.

"I still don't trust you," Superman grated.

"And you're probably wise to feel that way," Saturn Queen chuckled, "But I'll content myself to merely play my assigned role in things."

"All right, you're in," Superman wasted one last glower at Ultraman.

"Has anyone ever shared with you, you have a neurotic need to be liked by everyone?" Saturn Queen asked.

"Just stand somewhere out of sight," Superman was exasperated.

"Of course," Saturn Queen removed herself and met with Kalea while Ultraman served as Saturn Queen's bodyguard.

Alarms began sounding throughout the Hall of Justice. Hula Hula quickly deduced the nature of her problem, "Waller's back and she holding a contingent of indentified super villains in the lobby. All of which are listed as incarcerated."

"Are they holding Waller hostage?" Shayera asked.

"No, and they have indentified JLA assets amongst them. And bad guys now being recognized by the computer as good guys," Hula Hula couldn't comment any further o n the complexity of the situation.

"This is too weird," John remarked.

"These are you foot soldiers," Kalea remarked from the corner she shared with Saturn Queen and Ultraman.

Sue and Trevor had been briefed regarding the nature of ARGUS' Task Force X's makeup. But Sue was off campus and Trevor was with the Suicide Squad in the lobby. Hula Hula and Penny had never known of the squad's existence past their previous visit to Belle Reeve.

"Where are the Freedom Fighters in all of this?" Superman wanted to know.

"Waller deployed them to Los Angeles," Hula Hula noted.

"Let's greet our guests," Superman decided.

A wall of JLers stood behind the Hall's defense `bots. Waller saw Superman, "Everyone calm down and let process these people through the defense net. Stand down, mister. I mean you."

Superman bristled, "You can't bring them in here."

"I beg to differ," Waller scornfully replied, "This is still an ARGUS facility. These are ARGUS agents whether you approve or not. And believe what you want, this will remain an ARGUS base under our administration even after the United Nations signs the treaty to base the Justice League Unlimited here. And your cave facility can't compare either on technical merits for public relations attributes."

"But… _them_?" Superman gestured towards the Suicide Squad.

"Hey," Lime yelped, "Did I forget to bathe last night?"

"No, but you've been skipping shaving your pubes," Light stuck out her tongue, "Too nasty."

"Bitch," Lime accused her sister.

"Skank," Light retorted.

Superman could hear Power Girl explaining to Wonder Woman what pubes were. Then they discussed their mutually hirsute natures. Superman was sickened by the revelation of their rather hirsute natures. Even Diana had shaven and trimmed according to popular fashion.

"Blue boy? Are you listening?" Waller was confronting Superman again.

"Never mind," Superman shrugged off his mortification.

"These are black ops, off the record ARGUS agents. You can't choose to embrace the JLA and not the Suicide Squad," Waller flatly laid out, "You get both or none."

"Then I choose 'none'," Superman sniffed.

John, Shayera, Hula Hula, Penny, and Kalea got in his face over that declaration.

"We can't lose Galatea especially with Ultraman dancing to Saturn Queen's strings. And Guy s a colossal pain in collective ass, but we need him as well," John counseled him.

"Why accept Saturn Queen and not Waller's convict squad?" Shayera picked the logic apart.

"We're shorthanded enough, Supes," Hula Hula protested.

"Ah don't care who they all are but if they can help find Plas and kicked these invaders' asses, Ah'm for it," Penny voiced.

"Trevor turned to Waller to secure these assets at my behest," Kalea revealed, "If you don't appreciate my wisdom perhaps you should respect his. Unless you want to lose this conflict based on principles you can't afford. Do really want to spite humanity to prove you're morally justified?"

"You can enter and your criminals can too," Superman grated.

"We were going to anyway after I kicked you out," Waller said with a proverbial cat that ate the canary smugness.

Task Force X was restricted to the foyer guarded by machines and meta-humans alike. Stewards fetched meal and drink requests. Flagg and Nightshade joined the ops strategists. Superman sulked that Waller had taken control of the proceedings.

"We have Plastic Man's beacon" a tech happily declared, "He's in the Seychelles island chain."

"But we investigated there," Superman frowned.

"Hawkman thought he spotted a distortion on La Digue," John reminded everyone.

"Were the rest of you stationary when you investigated his claim?" Kalea asked.

"Of course," Superman was surly about it.

"The Kryptonian stealth systems are primitive compared to Almerac's and presumably what Luthor could yield," Kalea went to explain, "So when his movement caused the system to adapt it distorted the holographic camouflage."

"Get me real time satellite coverage," Waller bellowed.

"They'll be long gone," Saturn Queen predicted.

"You can read their minds from here?" Trevor asked.

"I don't have to," Saturn Queen smiled cannily, ""You can detect Plastic Man's beacon now because the Hall of Doom is no longer jamming it."

"She makes a helluva case," Flagg agreed.

"Ah'll go get him," Penny anxiously volunteered.

"Steve, assign an escort detail. Just in case this is a trap," Waller directed.

"Thank you," Penny said gratefully.

Superman burned with jealousy because in his perspective he should have been the one to earn her gratitude.


	7. Chapter 7

15

The Freedom Fighters met with Jade, Mayflower, and Obsidian at the LA ARGUS facility. Uncle Sam was less than sanguine about the situation, "Yore sayin' that ya'll want us to help bust a madam while everywhere else they're fightin' these thar Kryptonians."

"Please this woman has enslaved hundreds and exploited them in the vilest sexual exploitation possible," Mayflower pleaded, "And I thought you Yanks were all about personal freedom."

"That thar is a mite hypocritical comin' from a Red Coat," Uncle Sam bristled again.

"It's mere chance that the New World dominates the rest of the world with gen active personages," Mayflower commented, "Or it may simply be that identifying meta-humans isn't technologically feasible in other parts of the world. Or perhaps it's considered rude to screen for gen factors elsewhere."

"Whut even do ya have besides the word of this here terrorist?" Uncle Sam pointed out Obsidian. Jade held her brother back from responding.

"The ARGUS prisoner labeled 'Triad' is one of Vivid's victims as well have been forced to perform in pornographic materials as well later coerced into being one of Vivid's enforcers," Mayflower described Triad's plight.

"I hate this woman already," Firebrand admitted.

"But this Triad seems to be as much victim as perp," Phantom Lady added.

"What's the mind control element?" Black Condor asked.

"Vivid excretes an aerosol mist from her mouth that delivers a mind control particulate. She generally uses a kiss to enforce her control over some as it absorbs under the tongue," Obsidian explained, "ARGUS has already isolated the element and is concocting an immunization."

"Where's Vivid headquartered?" Human Bomb inquired.

"Malibu," Obsidian answered.

"Sam, Waller's afraid Luthor or someone else will recruit this Vivid and employ her to create an army," Doll Man reminded Uncle Sam, "I could help speed up the immunization efforts but she still has hundreds of people under her control according to the brief."

"Ah reckon we'll deal with this varmint lady sooner than later," Uncle Sam grumbled.

* * *

Luthor queried Brainiac as he gathered Grodd, Ultra-Humanite, Gar-Lo and Inara, "Is our location secured?"

"Affirmative," Brainiac spoke through one of many avatars, "We have returned to Louisiana without incident. Stealthing fields active and fully functional. Perimeter sensors have deployed. Yet the Kryptonian craft can't boast of any of these attributes."

"Our technology isn't inferior to yours," Gar-Lo sniffed insolently.

"Your camouflage system attracted Hawkman's attention. I'd pronounce that as being inferior," Grodd verbally jabbed. His ulterior motive to keep Luthor's loyalists sparring with the ranger scouts.

"Ret-Gel reports otherwise," Inara quoted the report submitted by the unit's engineer, "He states that the humans have technical parity, and some case superiority, amongst the Legion of Doom and this Justice League."

"How can this be?" Gar-Lo was crestfallen.

"I'm classified as a 12th Level Intelligence. The only other being so gifted as such is Metron and he's a New God. Presumably my alternates in other universes would be as well," Luthor elaborated.

"The humans say Luthor even has a form of mastery over Darkseid," Inara revealed.

"How?" Gar-Lo wanted to know.

"I know the secrets of the Anti-Life Equation which even Darkseid can't escape from," Luthor boasted.

"Our next goal should be devoted to destroying the Justice League," Grodd demanded.

"You've damaged the infrastructure to a point of toppling governments," Luthor advised the ranger scouts, "And the citizenry is in a frenzy of fear. The worldwide militaries are prepared for the nuclear option should our position be isolated. Even the UN is willing to deploy their Doombringer option."

Luthor let the others digest and to prompt the Ultra-Humanite, "Our supposed overture will be made by our scientific team at Fukashima."

"Where?" Gar-Lo frowned and the importance was explained to him, "I can't believe a species still splitting atoms boasts technology greater than ours."

"We've been motivated b invasions from White Martians, Thanagarians, New Gods, and Almeracians," Luthor drolly explained, "Next comes multiversal threats and how does one cope with a differing incarnation of themselves?"

"After repelling so many threats humanity has galvanized their approach to being conquered and sterilized out of existence under oppressive slave masters," Luthor told them, "They will now fight to the last man, woman, and child rather than submit and die. This way they will die fighting."

"Then we give them what they want," Gar-Lo snarled.

"And you expend the one resource Darkseid wishes to extract from this planet," Luthor saw Gar-Lo's dumbfoundeness, "The population. You exterminate humanity and Darkseid will ensure every surviving Kryptonian and relative races will die."

"We'll go along with while it's convenient," Gar-Lo pronounced, "Then you'll have to provide proof of your claims to serve me."

"Very well then," Luthor smugly agreed.

* * *

Superman, Black Mary, Power Girl, and Wonder Woman met with Sivana, Mr. Mind, and Half-Ape at Fukashima. Superman did not appreciate their chosen location, "Why are we here?"

"A lesson in your inability to avert every crisis," Half-Ape goaded Superman.

"Sivana, you and Mr. Mind better start explaining before I start squeezing both of you like toothpaste," Black Mary threatened.

"I was told you had a new attitude now that you were the last Marvel," Mr. Mind snickered.

"We, like the Greeks, bear precious gifts. The locations where the Legion of Doom and the Kryptonians can be found," Sivana explained, "Of course, like the legend, the gift is rigged to destroy all."

"And you expect to just walk away?" Wonder Woman needed to know.

"We exchange the locations predicated on our safe passage to parts unknown and our pledge not to participate in the coming hostilities," Sivana countered.

"Deal," Superman unwittingly agreed.

* * *

The first location revealed by the Legionnaires' science and technical team was Schott's Toy World. It was an abandoned theme park built by Winslow Schott, the original Toyman. Inspectors had stumbled upon the theme park's sinister secondary purpose.

Schott had died in prison thanks to a business competitor's bribe to a pack of gang land convicts. No one person had been attributed to the death since twelve prisoners were freely stabbing away with shivs. But a like minded neurotic with an unhealthy obsession with toys and compunction to incorporate them into his crimes.

So Jack Nimbell became the second Toyman upon his release. And he discovered that he was Schott's sole heir. Whereas Schott had worn a Howdy Doody costume, the new Toyman wore a jester's suit and mask. And the new Toyman was classified as being saner than the original so he was partnered with Luthor in several enterprises through shell corporations.

The JLers were unaware of the traps and pitfalls built into a family friendly environ. Funnel openings snared every non-flier. Power Girl and Power Ring went airborne before the trapdoors sealed themselves. Ranger scouts engaged the ladies before they could intervene on behalf of the other JLers' predicament. Power Girl was met by Jag-Set and Ursula Hav-Net. Power Ring faced Ret-Gel.

Underground, Huntress noted the sounding of rolling metal and jangling bells, "Sounds like a pinball machine."

Which she'd deduced the nature of the overarching trap but the ball served a further purpose than to merely crush JLers. It also served to force them into other hidden chambers and trapdoors. In them, Legionnaires and Rogues awaited them.

Thus, Toyman chose to test his wits against the Question. Question took in the sight of Toyman with his usual dry delivery, "Let me guess now, it's marionette month at Toyland."

"No, you conspiracy theorist hack. I'm the Toyman," he replied jovially.

"So someone assumed Schott's mantle. Would that make you Jack Nimbell?" Question inquired.

"Ooh! Playing with you is going to be so much fun," Toyman gleefully assessed.

"I suppose that means Schott's untimely demise wasn't untimely after all," Question surmised.

"Let's just say it only took a few bribes for my beloved mentor to the great toy chest in the sky," Toyman cackled.

Toyman dodged into an alcove while the pinball rolled by forcing Question to make a similar move. Toyman happily announced, "Meet GI Johnny, the Real America Zero!"

As Toyman disappeared in to the labyrinth itself, walking giant green army soldiers began their attack on the Question.

Finding no evidence of a hidden door like Toyman's, Question he couldn't advance through the GI Johnnies. So he gave ground and tried to locate another door while dismantling one GI Johnny at a time.

* * *

Signalman chose Huntress as his target. As the Justice League Unlimited spread itself out across Toyland, the Legionnaires in the caverns tracked those they selected. And when the JLers fell to peril in the pinball track, the Legion was poised for peril and destruction. Signalman distracted Huntress with flares, flashes, and bangs to keep her from discerning when the pinball itself would race through their portion of the track.

Huntress noted Signalman took great relish in luring her into untenable positions. Yet she couldn't fathom why he took her demise so seriously. It went beyond the Legion's usual brand of mayhem and drifted into the personal.

When Huntress escaped with life near the bumpers, she noted that Signalman was gone. Rather than press forward into unknown territory, Huntress backtracked and explored the alcove she'd spotted but used to find a means of escape. And with great diligence, she found an entrance to the labyrinth woven around the pinball track and underneath the warrens of the theme park itself.

* * *

Sparrow Hawk and Blackrock served as the secondary option should the ranger scouts fail. Captain Cold and Heat Wave served a similar function within the pinball track. As Rogues needed assistance, the monitors would play the video of them and the computer would guide them to designated points.

Toyman put four balls total into play yet didn't warn the Rogues. Captain Cold threatened to pull his force out of the game. Toyman dared him to try.

* * *

Pied Piper used his melodies to try and brainwash Little Mermaid. But Ulla Paske was half-Atlantean and used to hearing aquatically delivered noise as well as terrestrially. Something about the combination protected her from Pied Piper's power.

Ulla snatched the Piper's flute and crushed it, "Any reason I shouldn't clean your colon out with this?"  
"I can help you save your boyfriend?" Pied Piper hesitantly offered.

Mirror Master found everyone one of his mirrors destroyed by pinballs, wingarangs, or Nightwing's staves. Ulla dragged Pied Piper to his position. The piper perked up.

"Hey! He's cute," he commented.

"Down boy, he's mine," Ulla warned him.

"Let's get to the surface," Mirror Master offered.

Weather Wizard created a typhoon inside the pinball track. Fire was drowned while the winds buffeted against the walls. A pinball crushed her to ensure her death. Weather Wizard smugly left the track.

* * *

Chance provided Jesse Quick and Hourman the opportunity to fall down the same hole. Their dedicated opponents compensated by working together as well. The Top and the Golden Glider confronted the JLers.

"Look darling, fates brought us two Justice Jerk losers to kill," the Top taunted Jesse and Hourman.

"I want to ride the stud," Golden Glider insisted, "You kill his bitch."

Golden Glider skated a frozen prison around Hourman. But he defied the frozen icy razors and slammed Golden Glider against an exit alcove. Pinning her throat, Hourman choked into unconsciousness.

Jesse fought the Top's centrifugal force with even more of her own. But she spotted the oncoming pinball and joined Hourman in safety while the Top was crushed underneath. The JLers tried to resuscitate the Top but was far too injured to survive.

* * *

Spoiler couldn't get past the fact the Trickster sounded just like the Joker. She was willing wager that voice recognition software would confuse the two. And if it weren't for the fact the Trickster had bothered two incarnations of the Flash, she'd sworn the Joker retired into the persona of the Trickster.

After disarming him of two rubber chicken nunchuks, a high voltage joy buzzer, a flame throwing kazoo, and an itching powder aerosol dispenser, the Trickster suddenly seemed to switch personalities and he vanished into the underground recesses immune to the pinballs. Not knowing what else to do, Spoiler reminded herself this was her last mission with the JLU and plunged ahead in search of the Trickster.

* * *

Jag-Set had made corporal by being efficiently ruthless in a corps that prided itself on being so. But the ranger scouts prided themselves in individualistic accomplishment and lone bravado. So Power Girl faced two opponents that acted individualistically and not as a team so she retained the upper hand by playing Jag-Set and Ursula against each other.

Ret-Gel knew fear because of his amputation at Power Girl's whim. So the Ring of Volthoom had fertile ground to play with. Jessica Cruz saw no reason to inhibit her ring's appetites so Power Ring bled off Ret-Gel's life forces and the Kryptonian found himself consumed by Volthoom's creation.

* * *

Quebec had ceded a portion of Quebec City to the control of the villainess only known as Hummingbird. After joining the Legion of Doom, Hummingbird declared her portion of the city-state as a sanctuary city whereby those fleeing lawful pursuit could shelter in…for a price. Even Canada's own Justice League United were forbidden to interfere or penetrate Hummingbird's zone.

Hummingbird's javelin thrust failed when Hawkman wrenched the weapon out of her hand. But her hammer and sickle confounded him momentarily as he adapted to fight dual weapons at a time, "You should crawl back into whatever hole you squeezed out of."

"Some days, I truly wish I could, _ma petite_ , but such is not to be," Hummingbird's attack became even more frenzied.

"That was a warning not a request," Hawkman advised her.

" _Tries biene,_ I believe you, _mon ami_ ," Hummingbird fought to simply stay alive at that point.

* * *

"Well, well, a little Amazon to play with," Duchess gloated.

"Do I know you?" Troia asked.

"Once upon a time," Duchess replied.

"I doubt you're coming in peacefully," Troia sighed.

"Good guess," Duchess channeled her own inborn energy through her rifle and intensified her fire to the point Troia couldn't deflect it anymore. So the Amazon from Earth-52 pressed in on Duchess.

"Who are you?" Troia asked as she seized Duchess' rifle.

"Here's a hint," Duchess placed her palm against Troia's chest and energized her heart. Troia died knowing it was Lashina in disguise.

* * *

Fright expended every fear toxin dispenser trap she arrayed in anticipation of a dozen or more forces. Not one. General Glory waded through the increasingly toxic fear cloud seemingly unfazed by it.

The sight of General Glory unaffected by the propensity of toxin in the air prompted Fright to pull off her own gas mask. And she fell victim to her own trap. She shrieked and howled in terror as General Glory arrested until her panic fueled mind simply shut down. General Glory carried her back out of her own trap.

* * *

El Diablo set a ground attack against Green Arrow and Speedy while Black Spider utilized a high tower shooting position. Speedy barely had time to recognize the glint of gun metal and fire a boxing glove arrow into Green Arrow's back.

He in turn recognized the sound of rifle report and ricochet local that corresponded where his head had just been. El Diablo confronted Green Arrow, "Hey Homes, you only get one shot at me."

So Green Arrow hit him with a fire retardant arrow. Which lathered him up for the stunner arrow to jolt him unconscious. Green Arrow to check on Mia's progress afterwards.

Speedy was using explosive arrows to drive Black Spider out of his perch. Then she signaled Green Arrow round a one black radius around Black Spider while she did the same from the other street. Black Spider finally descended to street level to find both archers aiming at him.

"You don't stand a chance against me," Black Spider boasted. Just before one stun arrow and one net arrow took him down.

"Smooth, Hawke. I might keep you around. Think of it, Green Arrow as Speedy's side kick," Mia teased.

"I really prefer the term, _partners_ ," Green Arrow shared.

"Now I have to keep you," Speedy said warmly.

* * *

Shrapnel and Psi were completely ignorant regarding the new Supergirl. While Brainiac's briefing had noted that Matrix wasn't Kryptonian or Argoan, it neglected to elaborate on what she truly was. Largely because no one seemed to know.

Her powers seemed psychokinetic. But unlike a Martian, flame didn't encumber her. And reports indicated she could shape change like a Martian. But she wasn't telepathic which just muddled things up even further.

So Psi, whose principle power was telekinesis, lashed out at Supergirl. She sensed that her mentalist power was being blocked just millimeters away from Supergirl's flesh. Then Matrix surprised Psi with a visible psychokinetic force blast akin to telekinesis projected from her eyes. Despite Psi's defenses Supergirl smashed Psi into the path of a pinball.

Only Psi's telekinetic shield prevented her from being crushed. Shrapnel timed his "explosion" of his fragmented body poorly and the pinball shielded Supergirl from his attack. Supergirl knocked over an alcove door and entered the nexus of tunnels interlacing the pinball game leaving Psi and Shrapnel to deal with the other three pinballs in play.

* * *

Atom Smasher wanted to test his growth ability against the ceiling of the pinball game. But instead King Shark had attacked him. Their stature and strength were nearly equal so they fought with frequent interruptions by the pinballs.

Atom Smasher was being slowly cut to pieces by King Shark's talons. And he'd barely avoided losing a body part to the undersea prince's bite. So Al rallied and put King Shark through the wall and found another tunnels system free of pinballs.

Electrocutioner's electricity spewing gauntlets were easy for Anna Fortune to defend against but Lady Lunar's gravitic manipulations were a much harder beast to defend against. Timing the pinball incursions, Anna began prepping her solution. Meanwhile she achieved an impasse against the Legionnaires. She couldn't vanquish them but neither could they do the same to her.

* * *

Javelin threw bomb tipped spears at Stargirl. She blew them out of the sky and knocked Javelin out with the concussive blast of his own weapons. Slipknot fired grappling lines at her from various vantage points but Stargirl leveled him with a focused blast of cosmic energy. Sportsmaster never even stood a chance of getting into the game.

Courtney focused her Cosmic Rod and Cosmic Convertor Bent's energies at the walls and slipped into the hidden network running beside the previously hidden pinball game.

* * *

Flex was a cybernetically enhanced weightlifter who faced the Shining Knight. Sir Justin fought him chivalrously but deduced Flex's arms and legs were artificial and let his sword sing and fly. The Folded Man was another person who'd cracked the Universal Energy Theory. Blackstarr used the theory to manipulate energy on a quantum level.

Folded man converted himself in 2D and 4D versions of himself. Goldilocks' hair defied energy and matter so Folded Man fought for his very life. Her impatience with being accepted as trying to succeed Godiva was at an end. Rather than honor her fallen sister's memory, Goldilocks would forge her own memorial and destiny.

* * *

Ran-Dul found himself fight Black Mary. At first she seemed to be a novice but then her fighting acumen increased in geometric curves. And as Black Mary learned, she became exponentially more dangerous. And, unlike Superman, Black Mary seemed more than willing to kill him.

Rayni Zeb-Gon and Kira Id-Zo fought Barda and Wonder Woman to a standstill. Which startled the ranger scouts. And both New God and Amazon were smiling as the fighting increased in intensity.

"What are you?" Rayni finally had to know.

"Your better. That's all you need to know," Barda's mega-wand blasted Rayni across the theme park.

Then Barda took stock of Artemis' battle. Wonder Woman had penetrated Kira's defenses with a dozen arrows that the Kryptonian now had embedded in her flesh. Artemis had drawn her sword and Kira found it could penetrate her armor and skin. And her shield proofed against super powered blows.

Kira withdrew at super speed rather than continue to lose any more ground piece by piece of her body. Barda and Wonder Woman pursued but they were too slow to capture the wounded scouts. Artemis was angered and wanted to employ higher vaunted tracking skills to bring the Kryptonians too ground.

"Let it lie," Barda advised her, "The next struggle is inevitable and will be decidedly lethal."

Wonder Woman could get behind that.

* * *

Dresden, Germany had been literally destroyed by Allied fire bombs during World War. But it was an industrial hub before and during the war so the communist East German government rebuilt the city and its manufacturers. And now it was an Essie enclave for Neo-Nazi activities.

Blackstarr had chosen this as her defensible point because of her ties with the Nazi movement. And she'd brought both the Fourth Reich and Axis Amerika with her to snub Germany's outlawing National Socialism.

Blackstarr manipulated energy at the quantum level. Guy Gardner manipulated the emotional spectrum of fear. Guy had earned his ring by being able to master his own fear and inflict in others. And Blackstarr had much to fear since she was a Polish Jew taken in by the SS Kommandant of her concentration camp. If the Neo-Nazis ever learned of her true lineage or her actual age, despite her ability to appear ageless, she would be finished amongst the Nazi enclaves around the world. And without them, Blackstarr would have no purpose in life.

* * *

Gudra the Valkyrie fought Vapor and Praxis. As a shield maiden of Odin, Gudra carried both a spear and a sword. Praxis was amazed as her spear penetrated his defenses and pierced his heart. Vapor was shocked into immobility by Praxis' death. Then she recovered.

Turning into an acidic mist, Vapor encroached on Gudra. Gudra drew her sword and speared the pavement. An energy wave went out from her and dissipated Vapor.

" _Schwerin_ ," Gudra snarled, "To think you could ever stand against a Shieldmaiden of Wotan."

* * *

Judomaster singlehandedly fought Horned Owl and Fledermaus. But although Judomaster couldn't be touched, neither could she land a single telling blow against the German duo. She imagined the fluidity with which her opponents moved along with their uncanny coordination was akin to Batman and the first Robin in their prime.

Gypsy simply disappeared and reappeared to goad Kamikaze to committing to a ballistic flight of her choosing. And finally he relented and bore down on her as she vanished once again and Kamikaze impacted a freight train.

"Nyuh! Nyuh! Can't hit me!" Plastic Man taunted Usil the Golden Archer.

Usil would have believed that at one time. But Luthor had equipped Usil with a quiver full of tech arrows to match Green Arrow and Speedy's best. So Plas was caught unawares but he still struggled to overcome Usil's newfound technical advantage.

* * *

Baron Blitzkrieg stared down his old foe from World War 2, "Ah Flash, you make me yearn for my youth when I fought Citizen Steel and Amazing Man."

Flash had to admit Baron Blitzkrieg was very spry for a centenarian. But then again, Jay Garrick was pushing his late sixties himself despite the Speed Force. The Speed Force proofed him against the effects of his great speed but not the strain. Jay suddenly wished Wally West had never left for Apokolips.

So Baron Blitzkrieg and Flash fought to see who had the greater endurance. And Jay could only hope that. unlike Ted Grant who was youthful again thanks to the Nine Lives' Charm and Alan Scott whose entire body was saturated with the Green Flame energy from the Starheart, that he had the endurance to win this fight.

Sentinel used his power ring to battle Captain Nazi and Madame Libertine simultaneously. He struggled to analyze their attacks. But seemed Captain Nazi was all about fury and brute force. Force equal to a Marvel's while Madame Libertine was a sly one at ambushing from behind. But slowly, patterns emerged and Sentinel could exploit them.

Baroness Blitzkrieg's speed plagued Sand for a while. But then he created avoid sand trap for her. And she sank below its layers; she was still cursing his name.

* * *

Dr. Mid-Nite realized Hunter was a time lost knight like Sir Justin with none of the chivalry. So he didn't feel bad about using a blackout bomb to obscure Hunter's vision and then beat him senseless while he couldn't see.

Captain Swastika proved a more competent foe than Atom would have believed from his cartoon exterior. And when Captain Swastika had mapped Atom's abilities, he surprised him by catching him by the throat. As Atom's vision darkened, he was surprised to hear Captain Swastika's raspy voice for the first time.

"Say _auf wiedersehen_ , _Herr_ Atom," and Captain Swastika's confidence made Atom realize it could be true.

* * *

Katarina Armstrong was the great-granddaughter of the original Spy Smasher. After WW II, Spy Smasher had changed into be Crime Smasher and fighting crime syndicates. But Katarina, in her ole with ARGUS revived the Spy Smasher name. And now Spy Smasher found herself pitted against Reichsmark.

Spy Smasher had dozens of foreign meta-humans before but not on an exclusive basis. Waller had excluded Spy Smasher from the JLA but wanted her to be a part timer with the JLU. Which lent the UN based JLU Spy Smasher's expertise and lent Waller increased ARGUS influence in the JLU's activities.

Spy Smasher hit Reichsmark with several gas balls. His entirely human lungs rejected the gas and he sputtered and spewed his way into unconsciousness. So Spy Smasher shackled him with restraints made for his level of gen activation.

* * *

Baron Gestapo and Mr. Terrific fought a battle of technologies. T-Spheres flashed in and out of existence to wage war against Baron Gestapo's mechanics. While Baron Gestapo was obsessed with his creations, Mr. Terrific settled things the old fashioned way.

Captain Murder had all of Made Libertine's abilities but none of her so-called "sanity". Trajectory finally realized what it would take to defeat Captain Murder and she realized it would be her last act. So she raced back and forth on Dresden's streets delivering one supersonic punch after another.

As Captain Murder finally succumbed to the beating, Trajectory felt herself fly apart and she exploded with blue energy lighting half of Dresden. Back at the Hall of Justice, Hula Hula's monitoring team gasped in horror. Hula was shaken.

But Waller merely whispered, "Go, girl."

* * *

Saturn Queen faced down Inara Ye-Nev. A simple hypnotic command sent Inara headed out to the outer solar system. Then she went to Ultraman who'd killed Fal-Jegg by thrusting his fingers into his throat and subdued Shara Yi-Nill.

"Can I keep her, Mother?" Ultraman pleaded with Saturn Queen.

Saturn Queen brushed aside all of Shara's objections, "She's yours to do with what you please. Think of her as a sexually willing pet."

"You're far too generous with me, Mother," Ultraman confessed.

"Take her to your quarters and then rejoin us at the Hall of Justice," Saturn Queen instructed, "I'll clean up here."


	8. Chapter 8

14

Task Force X was the designated strike force to bring the battle to the Hall of Doom, whose location had been determined by Saturn Queen's agents within the Legion of Doom. Flagg spearheaded the assault with Karin Grace and Sarge Steel as his lieutenants. Flagg found himself pitted against Darkwing.

Flagg found himself stymied by Darkwing's apparent ability to dodge bullets. Hating automatic fire yet faced with a foe he couldn't hit, Flagg opened up on the assassin. Having seemingly wasted two clips on Darkwing, he tried grenades but the swamp lessened the effects of antipersonnel explosives, trees and swamp water absorbing the impact and shrapnel.

But as Darkwing closed the last ten feet between them, Flagg pulled his sidearm and emptied it into Darkwing's chest. Flagg didn't fathom that Darkwing, having been ousted from the League of Assassins by Black Canary, had no objective to fulfill and no master to serve. Death in combat was the only goal he had left to him and Flagg had unwittingly obliged him.

* * *

Karin found herself fighting Cheetah. But where Cheetah was raw physicality itself, Karin was precision personified. No longer the junior officer Flagg had led into peril countless times; Karin had been transformed into a warrior worthy of the Amazons.

Karin allowed Cheetah to pounce her. Then she twisted to control Cheetah's claws and plant the transformed scientist's head underwater. Thrashing and struggling to no avail, Karin held Cheetah under until she quit struggling and then continue to hold her under so that she drowned.

Karin extricated herself from Cheetah's corpse and angrily resumed her march on the Hall of Doom.

* * *

Sarge Steel had been a sergeant in Desert Storm who'd lost his hand in combat on a mission so secretive the government disavowed every soldier in the campaign. Sarge Steel was the only man to return. He'd received an advanced prosthesis in return as well as a new life in covert operations that were so black they didn't exist. Checkmate and then the Suicide Squad were a culmination of that career.

It was a career that would be saluted in rarified by such personages as Waller, Trevor, Flagg, Karin, Gwen Cormaugh as well as King Faraday and Nightshade. And Bronze Tiger would earn a degree of infamy for killing him. An event that caused Bronze Tiger to flee the Legion of Doom and seek safety in the embrace of the League of Assassins.

* * *

Katana barely registered the fact Blockbuster was a woman. A distorted mass of muscle that was a woman. Blockbuster's anger fuelled strength and speed didn't matter to Katana. The only thing that mattered to her was that the SoulTaker sang to her pulsing blood as she carved her way through Blockbuster's way.

Blockbuster fell before Katana and then the blade drank her soul. Katana almost swooned as her own adrenalin ebbed. And then her bewitched sword whispered to her on the wind and drove her to find Flagg and guard him as he pressed the attack.

* * *

Dr. Phosphorous encountered Nightshade. After finding his radiation blasts absorbed into the Land of the Nightshades, he joined them. And within its embrace he learned a new measure of insanity and suffering. And Nightshade never thought twice about sending him there.

* * *

Experiments devised to create a super soldier in World War 2 had disfigured the Unknown Soldier and made him seemingly immortal. But over the decades he'd harnessed his body's new abilities so when Catman challenged him, Unknown Soldier was equally prepared.

But Catman attacked and pulled out of the swamp before Unknown Soldier could capture him. Utilizing a swamp boat, Catman fled for civilization where he could discard his costume and blend in. Unknown Soldier seethed at his inability to catch Catman, especially in the fact of his part in Sonia Alcona's death.

* * *

Outlaw was almost as strong as a Marvel and nearly as durable. But as he bear hugged Warrant in a lethal embrace, he never expected to have a grenade shoved into his mouth or the detonation to kill Outlaw and the former Mossad agent as well.

* * *

Black Orchid summoned the elemental powers of the swamp itself to choke out the Weed and destroy once and for all. And having done so, Black Orchid decided it was time for her to disappear amongst the plant life once again.

* * *

Phantasm used smoke grenades to blur her enemies' vision and then she systematically killed Catalyst, who had the ability to control molecular structure, before she killed Enforcer and Blackguard before they could utilize their specialized weapons. Only Maser stood in her way now.

Maser was named after his uncle, Hal Jordan. His great-grandfather had fought in WW II as Air Wave with the ability to ride radio waves and create electrostatic discharges. Maser inherited that ability which had stayed recessive with the Jordan gene pool.

But rather than continued his brief career as a superhero, Maser turned to crime. But he'd never been a violent criminal and when he faced down Phantasm, he learned what lethality truly was. He never got a chance to speak before Andrea Beaumont struck him down.

* * *

Firehawk led Major Force into the upper atmosphere. Feeling boisterous after the deaths of Firestorm and Captain Atom, Major Force believed he was the last remaining nuclear being of worth. Which Firehawk disabused him off when she transformed his containment suit into soap bubbles. As she descended, Loraine Reilly tried to pinpoint where the battle was occurring.

Unable to do so, she began searching for her Suicide Squad teammate.

* * *

Havana had once been a CADMUS agent gone rogue. Larvanaught and Marauder were simple criminals with technological advantages. Silver Swan cut through them with her swan song and liquefied their armor and the bines beneath. Afterwards, Marauder rereleased herself as a survivor.

She shucked off her distinctive armor to reveal a Shayera Hol lookalike without wings. She held up her hands, "Jesus, I surrender already."

"Who are you?" Silver Swan had to ask.

"Kendra," the beleaguered Legionnaire told her, "My name is Kendra Saunders."

* * *

Count Vertigo's induce affected Savant so deeply, the man fell in a pool of swamp water and drowned because he couldn't manage to rise.

* * *

Calendar Man bargained with Puzzler and he surrendered in exchange for consideration into the Suicide Squad's ranks after this action.

* * *

Deadshot halted the flight of four Legionnaires. Each one posed a particular challenge but in the end they all fell before the man that never missed. Deadshot wondered if anyone would mourn King Kull, Armadillo, Black Mass, or the Key. Somehow Floyd Lawton rather doubted it remembering his own daughter, Zoe.

* * *

Captain Boomerang scored lethal hits on the Privateer and Modem. But somehow he merely wounded Punch and Jewelee. They bribed Captain Boomerang for the same opportunity Calendar Man was vying for.

* * *

Crowbar faced the Mammoth-like Sledge but he jammed the end of his crowbar in Sledge's mouth and blew the back of his head off. Putty decided to die fighting. So he armed the entire bandolier of grenades he wore and blew himself up with Crowbar as his victim.

* * *

The Writer could bend reality by simply typing on his tablet. Afterthought saw what was happening and slit the Writer's throat before he could hit "Enter" on his first sentence. Afterthought picked up the tablet and watched as the prose changed to, _And the Writer died._

Afterwards, Afterthought knew exactly where he needed to be already.

* * *

Mr. Element's mind created Dr. Alchemy. So it was obliquely fitting that they faced Lime and Light. Mr. Element detected the neck bombs the sisters carried in them. His transformational equipment altered the composition of the trigger in Lime's throat and the explosive detonated and burst her head wide open.

Light grieved over her fallen sister so intensively, Mr. Element and Dr. Alchemy escaped unscathed.

* * *

Zoom fought the Reverse Flash but Eobard Thawne quickly realized Zoom shifted time itself around himself to accelerate. When the Speed Force infused Reverse Flash collided with Zoom's temporal field, it blew them both through time and distance.

* * *

New Wave fought Thermal blissfully unaware of his ability. So when she became a living bubble of water around him, he seared her into being steam. Which killed New Wave and Thermal both.

Twister altered Heatstroke's perception with flowing illusions. But when she zeroed in on him, her violent, flare-like expulsion of heat energy fried him into a skeleton and seared the base of a large tree. The tree collapsed on Heatstroke and killed her.

Mudslide buried Yasemin Soze seconds after she'd blown his brains out. Cold Snap also unleashed a cold wave that froze Ravan to death but only after she threw the weapon that killed him as she died. Simultaneously, Dust Devil tore apart Schrek only to succumb to his own wounds afterwards. In a sense, the former vampire was grateful for his long sought after death. The last Master of Disaster to fall was Shakedown, whose earthquake caused sinkholes in the swamp land that killed both he and his foe, the Weasel.

* * *

Lex Luthor oversaw the extraction of the Hall of Doom. Professor Ivo deployed the Shaggy Man. Shaggy Man's brutish strength was superior to Superman's. And his primitive mind was far more savage. Luthor had Brainiac display the struggle for he and Ivo while the Hall of Doom flew away.

* * *

Kalea faced down Gar-Lo once again, "There isn't an escape."

"To the death then!" Gar-Lo blustered.

"It was never meant to be otherwise," Kalea coldly informed him.

* * *

Question made his way through the maintenance tunnels under Schott's Toy World. These tunnels serviced both the benign portions of the theme park as well as its murderous counterpart underground. The GI Johnnies pursuing him made it so the Question was rushed as he observed everything in his flight to capture the newest Toyman.

Signalman taunted Huntress by leaving a trail of burning roadside flares. A trail that finally led not to Signalman but to her own husband. Seeing the GI Johnny soldier catching up with Question as he examined a clue, whether it be earth shattering or not.

"Q! They're behind you!" Huntress fired a quarrel into the leading GI Johnny's head. Then she stormed into the back with her staves screwed together and telescoped out into a quarterstaff. Question liberated a rifle and blasted away at the converging toy soldiers.

"Have you seen Signalman?" Huntress panted when it was over.

"No, but I suspect he was led to my location by Toyman," Question told her.

"Schott's dead, remember?" Huntress was wondering if they were about to debate the metaphysical.

"No, a successor named Jack Nimbell," Question shared.

"Jack Nimbell?" Huntress snorted, "No wonder the guy's screwed up. His parents hated him."

"Come, he obviously went this way," Question pulled her along. And he mistakenly kicked her out into the theme park above.

* * *

Sparrow Hawk and Blackrock spotted Huntress and Question emerge from the terror center below ground and they reported it to Toyman. In his hidden control center, Toyman elicited the aid of Signalman to set the theme parks self destruct timer. And then they sent out the withdrawal signal to all Legionnaires and their allies, the Rogues. The Kryptonians be damned.

* * *

Pied Piper led Little Mermaid to Nightwing where Mirror Master was leading Nightwing out of the pinball maze. When they all reached the surface, the Rogues went their own way as promised. After a moment's searching the couple reunited with Question and Huntress.

* * *

Jesse and Hourman left Golden Glider to her grief. This time the Top wouldn't be revived. Jesse's super speed came in handy finding hidden doors but they were all locked down now. Hourman's Miraclo derived super strength allowed him to smash his way through. They found the control and its countdown timer. Getting to the surface, they warned the rest of the team.

Weather Wizard reached Golden Glider and the Top's position safely tucked away from the four menacing pinballs. Calling in what happened to Captain Cold, he and Heat Wave made their way there just as Mirror Master and Pied Piper did the same from overhead.

Captain Cold used his cold blaster on the roof while Heat Wave did the same with his thermal blaster and the rooftop shattered and cascade to the hidden floor beneath. Weather Wizard provided a twister to lift everyone up and Pied Piper and Mirror Master pulled them to safety.

"Where's the Trickster?" Pied Piper asked afterward.

* * *

Trickster blindsided Spoiler around a corner with a powder filled bag. Spoiler began scratching at herself, "Oh hell."

The super itching powder slowed her down so Trickster could reach an escape hatch. Spoiler desperately tried not ripping her own clothes as she too escaped the pinball track. Trickster was nowhere to be found. But in another part of the park, the Rogues vowed revenge for the very real loss of one of their own.

* * *

Question called a roll call and found the beleaguered Spoiler approaching the other JLers. This time there were no losses. Until Jag-Set's body smashed into the ground near them. And then Ret-Gel's corpse added to his. Jesse and Hourman reported the timer. And Power Ring got everyone clear just as the theme park imploded as explosions ripped away at it.

* * *

Hummingbird retreated from the nearly savage Hawkman. And then Hawkman focused on Duchess. Troia lay lifeless and Hawkman, with millennia worth of combat experience, could tell she was already dead. Duchess' focal rifle was shattered by Troia and Duchess wasn't prepared to reveal her true identity just yet. So she withdrew and Hawkman gathered Troia's body and flew away to mourn his beloved in his own way.

* * *

General Glory apprehended the recovering El Diablo while Speedy and Green Arrow brought in Black Spider. Supergirl dropped off Psi and informed the others where Shrapnel was reassembling. The she alleviated Atom Smasher by lifting King Shark away and handcuffing the amphibian's hands behind his back with a lamp post.

* * *

Anna delivered Lady Lunar and Electrocutioner after spiraling through a portion of the Subtle Realms for two minutes which appeared to be two months to the overwhelmed Legionnaire. They'd begged for the right to surrender afterwards. Anna was tempted not to accept.

* * *

Stargirl levitated the fallen Sportsmaster, Javelin, and Slipknot and dropped off with the group. Sir Justin brought Flex, carried by Goldilocks' hair. The Folded Man was nowhere to be found.

* * *

Black Mary became consumed with a wrath she'd never known before. And with it came the knowledge of how to defeat Ran-Dul. Permanently. Mary Batson would never have considered killing an opponent. Mary Marvel had come close but ultimately chosen not to. Black Mary had no such inhibitions.

Stargirl came to check on her friend and found Black Mary's gloves coated in blood and Ran-Dul's head crushed. While Courtney vomited, Black Mary sought out the wizard, Shazam, on the Rock of Eternity.

* * *

Artemis saw her opening and plunged her sword at Kira. The Kryptonian barely dodged, receiving only a grazing wound. Her super fast punches forced Wonder Woman behind her shield. And then Kira bolted away.

Rayni was almost done for when Kira sped by and snatched her out of harm's way. Barda was vaguely disappointed but it was good for the Kryptonians to continue their lessons in humility.

* * *

Guy had read the brief on Blackstarr compiled by Kara In-Ze. Despite her seeming youth, Blackstarr was an elderly woman in her nineties. But the quantum energies she shaped and reshaped rejuvenated her.

The more energy Blackstarr spent on Guy the less she had to fuel her own needs. And Guy saw her begin to age and he pressed his attack further. He wanted to annoy Blackstarr to the point she passed out from her own deprivation. And it almost worked. But Blackstarr recognized his strategy and withdrew.

"Yeah, toots. Run away from a real man," Guy boasted.

* * *

Baron Blitzkrieg succumbed to his own age induced fatigue moments before the Speed Force powered Flash would have. Baron Blitzkrieg had just enough reserves to fly away. Jay Garrick let him go.

* * *

Sentinel appreciated Wildcat joining the party. He kept Captain Nazi busy while Sentinel trussed up Madame Libertine. Sentinel let Ted Grant savor his own victory over Captain Nazi. And Flash rejoined them as well and described Baron Blitzkrieg's flight from justice. Guy also joined them and boasted about Blackstarr's retreat.

"Once a Ratzi coward always a Ratzi coward," Wildcat assessed, "I'm surprised Captain Ratzi didn't bolt. He musta felt somethin' fer the dame."

"FBI and ARGUS files state she's his great-grandniece," Sentinel shared.

"An' ya held back `cause Jennie-Lynn," Wildcat deduced, "Yer gonna get yerself killed, Alan-boy."

"According to Mr. Terrific and Dr. Mid-Nite, I probably can't die," Sentinel reminded them.

"Must be nice to be immortal," Flash joked.

"I rather doubt that," Sentinel said sadly.

* * *

Sand shifted the void sand pit's individual granules to dredge Baroness Blitzkrieg up from its depths after smothering her in it. When she mildly stirred, he gassed her with the Sandman's infamous blend of knockout ingredients.

* * *

Dr. Mid-Nite restrained Hunter with handcuffs and his own sword belt. Atom abandoned Captain Swastika after receiving an aborted call from Jean Loring. Using his disposable drop phone he rode the transmission back to her phone to find the phone on the floor and Jean hanging by a noose from their bedroom door.

* * *

Atom scrambled to liberate her and get her medical attention. While he was so involved, Captain Swastika escaped. Meanwhile, while Jean was sedated and resting, Ray Palmer investigated the scene of the crime where the police had discovered a note that read, _We know who your loved ones are._

Ray wondered if that just applied to him or the entire Justice League.

* * *

Spy Smasher was joined by Mr. Terrific and Dr. Mid-Nite in devising a restraint system for Captain Murder. She awoke during the process and broke free of her bonds and flew off at super speed. The trio watched her arc as she flew away.

"Did we get a tracking device on her?" Mr. Terrific asked.

"Yes," Spy Smasher confirmed it, "But what happened to the person assigned to deal with her?"

"I believe we suffered a great loss concerning Eliza Harmon," Dr. Mid-Nite stated, "A loss whose potential was hidden from us."

"Trust me, Waller will be held responsible for her part in Trajectory's death," Mr. Terrific pledged.

Spy Smasher was less than sanguine about that declaration.

* * *

Gudra carved a glowing outline into a wall and then stepped through teleport it created. She never bothered to and see Vapor pull herself together. But as she did so, she was too weak to fight again anyway.

* * *

Judomaster focused on fighting Horned Owl and avoiding Fledermaus. It took a great deal of concentration but she defeated Horned Owl. Fledermaus was so disconcerted by the sight; a simple chop to the appropriate nerve cluster put the teenager down. Judomaster restrained them, biding her time to avenge Commander Steel's death.

* * *

After Kamikaze bounced off a train, Gypsy finished him off with a telescopic staff. She found it wryly amusing that his whole purpose was to be a human missile and yet he was vulnerable to being beaten over the head. And irony that wouldn't be lost on his ARGUS interrogators.

* * *

Plastic Man grew bored with Usil so he stretch forth a hand that transformed into a giant mallet and he smashed Usil.

"You…you cannot…" Usil stammered before being smashed again.

" _Vas_? You cannot…" Usil tried again when Plas smashed him into the ground once more.

"No one can defeat…." Usil tried to put everything together but Plas' next blow knocked him out.

"No one wanted to hear from Hitler and no one wants to hear from you," Plastic Man advised the unconscious Usil the Golden Archer.

* * *

Saturn Queen summoned Gudra, "You show promise, renegade Valkyrie. If you join me against Luthor I'll liberate your comrades. I'll give them access to equipment that the US Army devised to augment meta-humans and those without gen factors."

"Who am I to refuse such an offer?" Gudra asked.

"Good answer," Saturn Queen replied, "Otherwise I would direct you to Jotunheim and let you face an innumerable army of Frost Giants by yourself."

* * *

Superman recalled his briefings on the Shaggy Man. He derived his power from the sun through the photosynthetic hair covering every inch of his body. So he burned the hair away and deposited the weakened creature on the Moon.

* * *

Kalea didn't hold anything back against Gar-Lo and soon reduced to him to his knees. Broken bones throughout his body made it impossible for him to fight back and he only hoped the daughter was as naively merciful as her rather. As she used her organic eye's heat vision to sever his head from his body, he learned otherwise.

* * *

Flagg and Karin pursued Bronze Tiger. Eventually they cornered him and Flagg pitched the deal Waller had devised, "Tiger, ARGUS is willing to shelter from Black Canary if you join Task Force X voluntarily and of your own volitions. You won't be a convict and you'll never see a trial. You'll granted limited autonomy and won't be incarcerated in Belle Reeve with the inmates."

"Who am I to say 'no'?" Bronze Tiger wondered.

"Good choice, Ben Turner," Karin applauded his deductive reasoning as Katana revealed herself with her SoulTaker poised to lop off Bronze Tiger's head.

* * *

Flagg and Karin took stock of Task Force X's latest losses while Katana continued to guard Bronze Tiger. Light was still shaking over Lime's loss. Black Orchid was long gone. Firehawk was an anomaly now that no US based hero or villain rivaled her. But the British and French partnership of Firestorms and Firehawks would still keep her in check if she went rogue.

* * *

Deadshot and captain Boomerang had proven their worth and their ability to work within the program's rules. Nightshade and Unknown Soldier were as inscrutable as ever. Eve Eden even more so given Nathanial Hale's recent death. Only Afterthought and Zoom seemed affected by Sarge Steel's demise.

* * *

The Hall of Doom escaped…or so it seemed at the time. But Brainiac reported the Kryptonians' losses as he directed the surviving ranger scouts to the Legion's location. Inara returned from her tour of the solar system angered over the ease of which Saturn Queen had controlled and the fact Shara was still missing.

Rayni, Kira, and Fal-Jegg were alone with Inara. Fal-Jegg summed up their frustration, "How can these mites be besting us?"

"Remember protocol," Inara was very sober, "When we reach a world too difficult to capture and posses an eventual threat too Kandor, we destroy it instead."

"What about Luthor?" Rayni asked.

"What about him?" Inara snorted, "He's merely human after all."

"He's Darkseid's appointed vassal for this planet," Fal-Jegg remind her.

"Luthor is no one's vassal," Inara warned them both.


	9. Chapter 9

13

The LAPD acquired arrest warrants for Vivid based upon Triad's testimony. The Freedom Fighters utilized their ARGUS connections to assume jurisdiction. Uncle Sam went so far as to temporarily deputize Jade and Obsidian. Mayflower already had her own permanent ARGUS credentials.

Surrounding Vivid's estate, carved into the Malibu hillside, the group saw who Vivid's protection detail consisted of. First Strike had been a military experiment in meta-human soldiers. But it had been decommissioned after erratic behaviors began appearing. Only Major Force, Lady Liberty and Silent Majority graduated to the Force of July, a more effectively developed successor.

Mayflower was the Force of July's sole surviving member. But First Strike had escaped Leavenworth to reassemble as a mercenary outfit. Barracuda was the sole surviving member of an Atlantean subspecies. Chief Justice was the original team leader before being demoted by Father Time and replaced with Americommando. Embargo created siege constructs. Railgun transformed his body into hypervelocity projectile weapons. Spin Doctor mesmerized people with her voice and altered their belief systems. Propaganda guided Spin Doctor's hypnosis through telepathic probes of the enemy's thought processes and beliefs.

Uncle Sam laid down the inevitable challenge, "You thar need to break it up and get on yore way. This is a duly deputized arrest warrant. We'll be takin' lil' Miss Vivid inta custody."

"Vivid is an American entrepreneur and we'll be defending her rights of free speech," Americommando retorted.

Mayflower explained the situation to Jade and Obsidian. Obsidian was even more agitated at Vivid's doorstep, "We need to end this farce."

"You need to realize there's a hierarchy to this. The Freedom Fighters developed in World War 2. CADMUS created First Strike as a replacement option for the Freedom Fighters. ARGUS shut the program down and initiated the Force of July program," Mayflower quietly divulged, "There's a lot of pent up resentment and First Strike no longer recognizes any loyalty except to the highest bidder."

A loud explosive sound ripped through the wealthy neighborhood.

Uncle Sam barreled into Americommando. The result of yet another super soldier program fought the Spirit of America. Americommando attacked a landmine look device to Uncle Sam's chest.

"Thanks to CADMUS I regret I only have one life to give for my employer," Americommando boasted.

The explosion killed Americommando and Uncle Sam was ripped apart as the energy matrix that created him unraveled.

Embargo tried to fight Phantom Lady but Stormy Knight knew precisely when to phase into the dark world and when to use her phantom gauntlets to create constructs to embattle Embargo. Finally, Embargo used a hold out derringer to take her own life.

Phantom Lady slipped into intangibility and tried to recover from the shock of it.

Doll Man fought Chief Justice and noticed the trigger finger of his foe's right hand was missing. And Doll Man assumed he was a righty because his aim with his left was off enough to continually insure Doll Man's survival. But when Doll Man snared Chief Justice in a nearly unbreakable net, the First Striker ate his cyanide pill.

Barracuda was aquatic but she'd learned to fight on both land and in the air. So she fought Black Condor in his environment. He got the first strike in at her jet pack. But she outmaneuvered him and broke his neck seconds before her jet pack massively overloaded and blow up, incinerating both her corpse and Black Condor's.

Spin Doctor's silken voice pitted Human Bomb against Firebrand. It wasn't until Human Bomb ripped off his protective suit and tackled Spin Doctor in one final momentous explosion that Firebrand found her mind cleared.

Mayflower viciously mutated plant growth to rip Railgun's cybernetic body apart. Jade and Obsidian faced down Propaganda. He tried to rewrite their minds with him as a benefactor. But Obsidian's shadowy form ripped the man's heart out.

Phantom Lady, Doll Man, and Firebrand didn't have time to mourn their losses. Instead they united with Mayflower, Jade, and Obsidian to serve the LA County's arrest warrant for Vivid. Vivid leered at Obsidian.

"I knew you'd bring me new pets," she laughed.

Jade contained her inside a power pulse construct, "Lady, all you're seeing is the inside of a jail cell maximized just for you."

And Vivid's empire took its first step in crumbling apart.

* * *

Once the LAPD and the Coroner's Office began recovery efforts, the Freedom Fighters and Mayflower checked in the ARGUS. And Jade and Obsidian joined their grief for the losses endured by the Freedom Fighters, Justice League Unlimited, Justice League of America, JSA All Stars, and Conglomerate. No one shed any tears over the villains and Kryptonians who'd died thus far.

Sue ended her final act for the JLA with commemorating a memorial to the fallen heroes around the world at the Hall of Justice. Then the press conference turned nasty. Superman shut it down.

"I can't believe they doubt us," he said behind closed doors, "Us!"

Waller had left but Steve Trevor was still ARGUS' base commander and liaison with the restructured JLU, "Over fifteen thousand people have died despite are best efforts. Millions more are displaced and the world's governments are bankrupted without even trying to rebuild an infrastructure. No one can afford to because there isn't enough money in existence to do so. And printing any more will merely devalue it further."

"We still need to sanction, Kalea, Galatea, and Black Mary for killing those ranger scouts," Superman complained.

"Hell, I'm willing to petition the United Nations to authorize every nation on Earth towards giving them the highest medals available." Trevor reported. Superman finally realized Colonel Trevor was a soldier where Sue had been a trusted civilian.

"How are they holding up?" Waller teleconferenced with Gwen and Flagg.

"The inmates are throwing an 'I survived' party we seem to be catering," Gwen said with disgust.

"Light's pretty twitchy though. She may not recover from her sister's death and she may become a liability in the field in the future," Flagg assessed.

"Nightshade and our trustees are monitoring the gathering," Gwen told Waller.

"They have twenty hours and then we may be green lit," Waller warned them, "The Legion and the last of the Kryptonians will only lick their wounds for so long."

* * *

Superman ordered the three women to the conference room, "Sit down. We have a lot to discuss."

"What's this about?" Black Mary demanded to know.

Superman saw what everyone else had recognized already about Black Mary. Mary Marvel and her temerity were long gone. Black Mary owed more to Black Adam than Captain Marvel.

"You three are standing down from the final confrontation when it occurs," Superman informed them, "We cannot condone killing innocent men and women."

"Excuse me, Daddy Dearest," Kalea snorted, ""But this is war and they sure as hell weren't innocent. They killed thousands of people right in front of you. Or have you forgotten that?"

"They're innocent until proven guilty in this nation," Superman said loftily.

"Then take them to some other nation where the populace isn't a bunch of idiots," Kalea insisted.

"The World Court has jurisdiction for prosecuting war crimes," Power Girl told him.

"Then we'll turn you three over when this is done," Superman pledged.

"There isn't a court on this planet, except maybe in Tehran, that could convict us much less prosecute us," Black Mary snapped.

"I'm a foreigner so your precious court system has no jurisdiction or authority over me," Kalea reminded her father.

"And I'd like to see you arrest me," Power Girl challenged him.

"Maybe we should prosecute this war in our own way," Kalea suggested.

"I'm just getting the hell out of here," Black Mary sullenly snorted before she flew back to Fawcett City ready to let the world burn around her.

Superman watched Power Girl leave with Kalea. Once, Galatea had saved Superman from the wrath of his daughter. Now, ironically it seemed, they'd become the closest of friends and allies.

* * *

Outside the Hall of Justice, Kalea turned to Power Girl, "The one you call Mary bears watching. She has a lust for power without regard of how she acquires it. Trust me; I know the signs from personal experience."

"Aren't I coming with you?" Power Girl asked.

"I have to ask you to stay on here for a time longer," Kalea told her, "Afterwards we'll discuss whether you still want to return to Almerac or not."

* * *

In Iceland, Inara watched the horizon while Rayni, Kira and Fal-Jegg reconstructed their ship's drive into an antimatter bomb that would utterly destroy the Earth and the ranger scouts with it. But Brainiac had explained this protocol to Luthor. So he sent his cleanup option in.

Slade Wilson's long time attaché and business manager, Billy Wintergreen, flew the Titans to the Icelandic hinterlands. Wintergreen himself was a veteran of the 22nd Parachute Regiment Special Air Service. He'd selected a young Slade Wilson to be trained for specialized missions by Major Adeline Kane. Adie had married Slade and born him his two sons, both of whom were now dead. And fired the bullet that cost Slade his eye after Adie learned of Rose's existence in light of the loss of both her children.

Wintergreen leveled out the C-130 over the ice plain the ranger scouts had moved their ship to. The Titans exited out of the plane through the cargo ramp. No one had mentioned it yet but Slade was beginning to get grey around the temples again. A process that would end with all of his hair whitening out. If Slade had noticed he didn't seem to care.

Gunslinger sat the mission out. Pat Trayce viewed herself as a vigilante dispending justice. Not as a soldier. Cheshire had spent the flight engaged in a vitriolic tirade against Gunslinger and Ravager. Deathstroke didn't approve of Rose's romantic choice on the basis it would deny him an heir. But he understood love came with costs as his own marriage to Adie Kane had proven.

Horus was also AWOL, consumed with feverish plans to restore Teth-Adam and Adrianna Tomaz's patronage. No matter the cost to Black Adam and Isis.

Tattooed Man attacked the Kryptonians with his shadowy tattoo constructs and a dagger carved from kryptonite. Arsenal had three flint-like kryptonite arrowheads. Cheshire wore red solar powered claws with gauntlet batteries. Cinder it seemed already radiated red solar plasma when she transformed. And Deathstroke's pistol carried thirteen red solar rounds in its magazine.

Cinder joined with Tattooed Man against Rayni. Cinder it seemed was immune to the Kryptonian's attacks. Tattooed Man ran Rayni ragged with his shadow constructs until her distraction with them and Cinder's painful attacks to stab her in the heart with the kryptonite shard. She wore such a surprised expression as she died.

"She didn't think it could be done," Cinder observed, "Not by human hands."

"None of us ever do," Tattooed Man said grimly wondering what had ever happened to the man and hero he had once been called Ink.

Cheshire slashed away at Fal-Jegg them she dropped and rolled away. One kryptonite tipped arrow after another penetrated his heart and he collapsed with a startled expression. Arsenal observed the grouping.

"Have I still got it or what?" he boasted.

Cheshire grabbed him by the balls, "Let's get in the ship. You know how horny murder makes me."

* * *

Inara studied Deathstroke. And she assessed that he was the superior fighter as he soundly beat Kira in every conceivable form of combat. For all her strength and speed, he'd kill her just as he killed Kira after toying with her for two minutes.. She dropped to her knees.

"Just do it!" she barked.

Deathstroke put three rounds in her forehead and five in her chest before she collapsed backwards, propelled by the impacts just as the seven bullets he put in Kira punctured her multiple times before she even fell to the ground from the first impact.

"Stack the bodies," Deathstroke instructed, "Luthor wants them for genetic research. And get Harper and Cheshire out of the damn ship before they screw each other's brains out. Luthor wants the ship so we'll secure it until the Legion arrives to collect.

And then Slade contacted Wintergreen and requested that his friends land.

* * *

Saturn Queen suddenly broke into everyone's thoughts at the Hall of Justice, _"The Kryptonian threat has ended. We'll be going now."_

As she and Ultraman made their way out of the complex, no one could even speak to hinder their progress. But Superman managed to place himself in their path.

"They're dead?" Superman grated in an extreme effort to speak.

"To the last man and woman," Saturn Queen told him, "So there's no further point in our being here. Stand aside."

And Superman, to his great ire, found himself complying. But Saturn Queen paused, "You have detectives at your disposal then you can investigate the means of their demise. I recommend you focus your efforts on Iceland."

After Saturn Queen and Ultraman departed, her lock on everyone's minds ended. Barda reminded Superman of the secondary threat, "Luthor won't just sit idly by while the world rebuilds.

But they discovered even ARGUS' vast resources were unable to locate the Hall of Doom. And Kal-El realized he still needed Kalea's assistance.

* * *

Deathstroke and his Titans team escorted the Kryptonian corpses and their ship to the Congo when Ultra-Humanite and Half-Ape came to collect. Then Deathstroke and his team departed millions of dollars richer. Grodd briefly tried to recruit Deathstroke to his cause but he swiftly realized Luthor had beaten him to it.

Kalea arrived and every Legionnaire scrambled. Kalea had one demand, "I wish to speak with Luthor. Alone."

"Why should I allow this?" Grodd wondered.

"Because I might still kill him and spare you the trouble," Kalea laid it out.

Grodd consented.

* * *

"I've wanted to meet you since you reached maturity," Luthor schmoozed.

"Spare me," Kalea grunted, "I'm taking the antimatter failsafe."

"In exchange for what?" Luthor was fascinated by her impertinence.

"In exchange for Almerac's neutrality in your battle with Saturn Queen," Kalea offered.

"We have a bargain," Luthor decided, "If you personally pledge your own noninterference in events to come."

"I'll gladly make that pledge," Kalea assured him. She hefted the antimatter bomb and left the Hall of Doom to return to her own ship.

* * *

"Was that wise?" Grodd asked afterward.

"You'll appreciate that bargain soon enough," Luthor told him.

* * *

Luthor bargained with Deathstroke, "I need another contingency plan."

"Gold bullion speaks volumes," Slade told him.

Luthor outlined his needs and his plan. Deathstroke nodded, "Transfer the retainer fees the usual way. Then when the time comes fifty percent up front and the remainder when the tasks are finished."

"We have a bargain then," Luthor chuckled.

* * *

Kalea stowed the antimatter bomb in her skiff which remained undetected in Kazakhstan. Power Girl returned from saying goodbye to Emil Hamilton. Kalea said her farewells to Galatea and then Power Girl slipped away.

"About time you found me," Kalea told her father twenty minutes later, "I was getting bored with the busy work waiting for your arrival."

"You have sharp senses," he applauded her.

"You're just noisy," Kalea warned him, "And now that I relieved Luthor of his planet killing weapon, I'll fly home and leave you in peace. You seem to prefer it that way."

"I…" Superman faltered.

"It's okay. I get that reaction a lot," Kalea reassured him, "You don't know whether to kiss me or hit me."

"I wouldn't kiss you that way," Superman irritably remarked.

"It's a metaphor. Go with it," Kalea rolled her eyes.

Superman paused before changing the topic, "This look suits you."

"Yeah, that's me. The conformist. Add a little flesh and everyone forgets that the artificial bits are still artificial," Kalea seemed resigned.

"Are you taking Galatea with you?" Superman asked.

"And now we get the actual point," Kalea nodded, "It seems she isn't coming with."

"Make certain she never comes across my path or I will see her prosecuted for murder," Superman warned her.

"And who has she killed that anyone will grieve?" Kalea rebutted his assertion.

"Who have you become?" Superman was aghast.

"My mother's preferred weapon," Kalea, "And you wouldn't imagine what I've done in her name."

He didn't want to, "You said there were other Kryptonians at this 'Kandor'?"

"There shouldn't be any left by now," Kalea said nonchalantly.

"What?" he blurted.

"The mission was an extermination. You're the only Kryptonian left from the Prime Universe again," Kalea promised him.

"Maxima ordered this?" Superman couldn't believe it.

"I may have spared her a few details in our operational parameters," Kalea smirked.

"My God, you're a monster," Superman gasped.

"I am what you, mother, the Techno-Organic Union and years of struggle have made me," Kalea advised him, "But Ultraa may deal a fatal blow soon enough so you won't have to worry about muddying up your bloodline."

"I don't understand," Superman admitted.

"You taught me naiveté. Mother taught duty and honor. Toppling her empire taught me the nature of politics. And Lord Ultraa is teaching me treachery and betrayal. Lessons I hardly needed already," Kalea explained, "Such is life at the center of the Imperial court. Now that I'm removed from it, I see the threats facing mother and I can deal with them and protect her from my doing so in the most efficient manner."

"You really are a patriot willing to do anything for your cause," Superman finally acknowledged, "And your sole cause is Maxima."

"I acted on my own. Then I acted for the people's interests. Then I expanded that view to include mother," Kalea outlined, "And her interests and the subjects coincide. So I can commit to the empire and to mother as my sovereign and everything else falls into place."

"For what?" Superman had to wonder.

"That's the surprise headed straight for you," Kalea warned him, "But I hate to spoil it."

"I guess I'll find out the hard way," Superman grudgingly let the topic go.

"Trust me, you'll love it," Kalea smirked again.

* * *

Claire Montgomery summoned a press conference to outline the many changes to the Justice League. The JSA All Stars, the Conglomerate, and the JLA were all absorbed by the JLU. But many of the members off those former organizations were either dead or resigned now that the crisis had passed. The supplemental Justice Society would train the next generation of heroes.

The rumored Justice League Dark and the Canadian Justice League United would be legally sanctioned by the United Nations to disband. As far as the UN was concerned, there was only _one_ Justice League left standing and it was the Justice League Unlimited. And Superman was ready to convince the world of that fact.

Luthor watched the conference with some amusement that he could gather in the crowd unnoticed. He could rain fire down on the populace and no one could stop or hinder him from doing so. Unknown even to him, Saturn Queen stood at the edges of the assembly. Everyone clung to the idea the Justice League could save them from the inevitable threats to come. Eve Aries relished the opportunity to shatter the public's trust.

* * *

 **Author's note: I've finished the outline to the next installment in the series. It will be 21 chapters with a greater word count per chapter. And it continues the cataclysmic world changing event structure of this story. First the heroes were stricken, next comes the villains.**

 **I actually completed Part 23 in early October and took a break until early November when I began my outline to Part 24. I will begin producing actual chapters by mid-January with publication occurring as it can.**

 **And, continuing my grand tradition, I researched over 300 obscure characters. I continued from DC Database to Comixology where I used the Comixology Unlimited free trial to further my inquiries by reading actual digital comics featuring many of these characters. In addition, I stretched further than Comixology allowed by purchasing over $150 worth of complete series sets of comics including nearly the entire Impact imprint line produced by DC and starring licensed characters from the MLJ/Red Circle/Archie Adventure Comics publishing group between 1991-1993. Later, in 2008, DC relicensed the properties again and tried to incorporate them into the mainstream DCU before the New 52 forced Archie into reincorporating the characters into the second Red Circle launch and then devised the Dark Circle imprint to showcase the superheroes they own.**

 **The oddity is, DC rarely licenses intellectual properties. In the past they simply bought out companies. They acquired Fawcett Comics to purchase the Marvel Family and associated characters (including Spy Smasher) after bankrupting the company with a copyright infringement suit because Shazam/Captain Marvel was more popular than Superman. They bought Quality Comics to get the Freedom Fighters. And they took over Charlton Comics in order to seize Captain Atom, Nightshade, Blue Beetle, and of course, the Question. All of these acquisitions occurred after 1970. It's not a singular practice. Marvel acquired company after company with Malibu Comics being the most recent in order to shut down the increasingly popular Ultraverse. I have no idea who sold them Angela from the Spawn universe. She was a joint property between Todd Macfarlane and Neil Gaiman. I can only theorize they disagreed on the character's future usage and sold the character and associated Heven properties to settle the debate. And who the hell at Marvel decided an angel should actually be an Asgardian?**

 **But traversing the "Bad Characters" line up within DC Database, I also have begun incorporating 100+ villainous characters not associated with Archie. They will begin appearing in Justice League Downfall: DCAU Series Part 24 through Justice League Hallowed: DCAU Series Part 28 before becoming reoccuring series antagonists.**

 **I have integrated the Impact and DCU versions of the Mighty Crusaders whereas I previously relied more heavily on the Impact Universe when I previously introduced the Mighty Crusaders when they assisted the Movement and Gen13.**

 **I have also inserted a plethora of Wildstorm characters. So I have now incorporated the Wildstorm, Vertigo, and Impact imprints into the DCAU with only the Milestone imprint outstanding. The DCU absorbed the Dakotaverse so I'm looking into how to flesh it out into the DCAU. Since the early DCAU is a kinda pre-Crisis, post-Flashpoint, mid-Rebirth kinda multiverse we're slowly, but acceleratingly, moving towards the Batman Beyond, none of the above, DCAU. After all, how many people recall that the Legion of Superheroes dwelt in a New Earth styled singular universe rather than a Multiverse?**

 **But, as always, the Justice League still remains the primary mover that propels the story. And as you'll see, the world has never needed a Justice League like now.**


End file.
